The Perfect Mistake
by diaryoftheclinicallyinsane
Summary: Life at Dalton can get a bit hectic. How will Kurt handle crazy classmates, challenging school work, and a best friend who always seems like something more?
1. Explosions and Ambushes

It had been quiet today, almost too quiet. There had been nothing out of the ordinary and the day had gone by with no problems whatsoever. This would have made most people happy, or at least content, but Kurt just felt suspicious. In the two weeks that he had been at Dalton, not a single day had gone by without something happening. On his first day he had been given a rabbit's foot by a muttering dark-haired boy. Last week he had gone back to his dorm only to see that everyone's furniture had been stacked into the foyer. Just yesterday he had encountered a boy rambling on to himself about the pros and cons of shoes. It was never a dull moment in Easton, where it seemed only the craziest of boys lived.

Kurt suddenly realized that he had forgotten to lock his door that morning, a big mistake if he wanted his bed to stay in his room, and he began to walk a little faster towards his dorm. He was about fifty feet away from the door when he heard an ear-splitting bang. He was so terrified that he hit the ground and covered his head. After making sure that he was in no immediate danger he got up and gazed at his dorm. There was black smoke billowing out of the windows on the second floor. _Crappy day to live on the second floor_, Kurt thought. He stood there looking at his dorm for a second before realizing that his room was on the second floor. He grabbed his bag from where he had dropped it and took off running towards his home.

* * *

Jason had finally done it. He had created and perfected the formula that would enhance brain activity. He had been working on it since the start of the year, when the others boys in his chemistry class had made a bet that he couldn't make people smarter, and had failed over and over again, but today he had finally gotten it right.

He was standing in his single, soaking up the success before he put the last ingredient in. He took a deep breath of accomplishment and dropped the substance into the flask before him. The liquid turned a dark purple and bubbled slightly at the addition of the ingredient. Unlike his other experiments, it was stable and did not combust.

"YES!" Jason cried, dancing around his room and pumping his fists in the air. This had to be the greatest day of his life.

Unfortunately for Easton house, the dorm advisor had decided to check up on Jason at that exact moment. "Jason? What are you…" but that's all the advisor could get out before disaster ensued.

"Elliot! What are you doing in my room?" Jason ran to shut the door on the senior but hit his table on his way. The purple liquid slowly fell to the floor and exploded once it hit the ground. A black smoke quickly filled Jason's room and the hallway. Jason ran to open his window and yelled at Elliot to tell the others on that floor to do the same. The smoke began to pour out of the dorm and Jason breathed a sigh of relief. At least the smoke wasn't going to stick around. Jason looked at the smoke that was now falling to the ground and shook his head. He had been _this_ close. He looked out at the grounds, figuring out if he could possibly duplicate the experiment based solely off of memory when he saw a slender boy with icy blue eyes running towards the dorm. The boy had a queen bitch expression on his face and it was only then that Jason began to worry.

"Shit!" Jason exclaimed, "ELLIOT!"

Elliot ran back into Jason's room with alarming speed. "What Jason, what's the problem?"

Jason just stared at Elliot with a look of horror in his eyes. "Kurt's almost here."

* * *

Kurt slammed the large, oak doors out of his way. He had a look of murder in his eyes as he marched with purpose to the winding staircase that led to his floor. Normally, Kurt took the time to bask in the perfectness of the architecture he was surrounded by. The ornate carvings of vines and leaves on the banister, the solid pillar that the staircase enclosed, the large bay windows that let as much light as possible into the rooms. At this particular moment, however, Kurt could not be bothered to look anywhere but forward. He was on a mission and would not stop until he knew what was going on.

He was met at the top of the stairs, almost slamming right into the body in his way. His concentration broke for a second as he took in the person in front of him. He gazed up into brilliantly green eyes that were set in rich, dark skin. Black hair fell to his ears in relaxed waves, a look that not many boys could pull off, but this boy in particular did it well enough. Kurt felt the boy's large hands grab his arms and try to hold him back. At the sudden contact, Kurt realized who this boy was and his eyes focused once again.

"Elliot," Kurt growled in a warning tone, "get _out of my way_." Elliot merely tightened his grip and shook his head.

"Sorry Kurt, can't do that I'm afraid." Kurt smiled wickedly sweet.

"Afraid that I'll kill you? Because rest assured, if I find that _anything_ of mine is damaged I will end you without a second thought."

"Whoa there Kurt, relax a little okay? It was just another one of Jason's experiments gone wrong."

At this point a flurry of limbs came running out of one of the rooms. "EXCUSE ME? My experiment _did not_ go wrong! In fact, Elliot, if you could just _mind you own business_ everything would have been fine!"

Kurt looked over at Jason and a little bit of his anger dissipated. If he thought he was angry, it was nothing compared to what his floor mate was feeling. Jason's sandy-brown hair had escaped the confines of its gelled prison and had taken to falling into his eyes, which were fiery amber at this point in time. His muscles were tensed and his face was screwed up into a mask of anger and bitterness. He must have been really close to figuring out the experiment this time.

"Well Jason, considering how many times you've tried to blow up our dorm, I would say that checking in on you is my business. As your Senior Dorm Advisor it _is _my job to make sure the _whole _house is okay, not just you."

"I was fine, Elliot. And may I remind you that I haven't caused any serious damage for months." Jason was practically vibrating with anger by now. He was trying so hard to control himself and it was obviously not working.

Kurt finally realized what he had just walked into. This argument had been a long time coming and Kurt suddenly found himself not wanting to be anywhere near it. He silently wiggled out of Elliot's grasp and snuck down the hallway towards his room. He slid his key into the lock and turned, walking quietly into his room. After a quick look around, he saw that nothing was damaged by Jason's little mishap.

He was just about to head to his desk when he suddenly found himself on the floor. He looked up and saw a boy with black, curly locks and hazel eyes that reminded Kurt of spring time.

Kurt sighed. "Is there any specific reason that I'm on the floor, Blaine?" This was not the first time that Kurt had been ambushed as soon as he walked into his room. In fact, it happened on a weekly basis.

"Oh, not really." Blaine was so oblivious to personal space. There he was, practically straddling Kurt, and he had not a care in the world. Most boys would be at least a little bit embarrassed by the closeness, but not Blaine. Kurt looked over to Blaine's side of the room and instantly saw the reason for the ambush.

"I think that you've been reading too much Calvin and Hobbes, Blaine." Kurt sighed again. He was trying his hardest to remain calm and not freak out, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with every passing second.

"Or maybe I just missed you and got a little overexcited." Kurt raised his eyebrows at his roommate. "Or I could be reading too much Calvin and Hobbes." Blaine immediately got up, pulling Kurt with him. Kurt began to dust off his blazer when Blaine stepped closer. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and buried his face in Kurt's neck. Only Kurt smelled this way, of vanilla and something else that Blaine couldn't place. Kurt, slightly shocked, put his arms around the shorter boy's neck and accepted the , embrace.

"I really did miss you." Blaine breathed hot air onto Kurt's neck; it was enough to drive Kurt crazy.

"I know you did." Kurt squeezed tighter and both boys let go. Their friendship was a weird one that never seized to amaze Kurt. Blaine was so tactile and yet managed to convey a platonic feel at the same time. It was like the two had been best friends for years, instead of just a few short months. The two just smiled at each other, content with the other's company, until they were shocked out of their silence by murderous screaming. Kurt and Blaine jerked away from each other. Blaine ran out of their room and down the hallway, towards the source of the yelling.

Kurt rolled his eyes and sighed. _Well at least at Easton I'm never bored_, Kurt thought to himself as he set off down the hallway.

* * *

**_[A/N]_ So this is my first ever fanfic! I'm so excited to finally be posting but also kinda nervous because, I mean, there are some pretty freaking amazing authors out there :) I hope that you like my ideas and story and I plan to post more later on!**

**LotsOfLove**

**DOTCI 3**


	2. Unspoken Desires

_[A/N]: So I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of love I got on the first chapter! It made my heart go wee :) Like…super wee! Y'all are just so GREAT! Anywho…here's the next chapter, hope you all like it, and thank you for reading._

_LotsOfLove_

_DOTCI_

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Glee *sadface*, but until I do I will be forced to use these disclaimers._

**

* * *

**

Blaine ran towards the screaming; only stopping once he got the door of the common room. He wasn't the Dorm Advisor of Easton, but he was next best, solving problems whenever Elliot couldn't. He took a deep breath and pushed aside the door, exuding confidence and authority. Quickly assessing the situation, he saw the source of the problem. Wes was towering over a freshman, eyes bulging out of his head, waving his arms manically.

Blaine looked down at what Wes was gesturing to and saw a perfect scale model of Westerville, drenched in coffee. It was Wes's project for a young architect's contest he was entering and he had been working tirelessly on it for weeks now. He had just finished yesterday, and had put it in the common room for everyone to see. It was then that Blaine tuned into the conversation that was taking place.

"...I mean, who just spills coffee Andrew? You weren't even doing anything, just sitting there; doing absolutely _nothing_ and you decided right then would be a good time to spill your drink _all _over my project?" Blaine just stared at Wes; he had never seen his friend this mad before, not even when David had put mayonnaise in his shampoo bottle.

The boy in question just sank lower into his seat. Blaine felt pity for him, he was a shy boy to start off with and didn't talk very much and now he had the full rage of Wes unleashed on him. He was beginning to shake uncontrollably and that is when Blaine snapped back into reality.

Blaine grabbed Wes's shoulder and pulled him away from the boy cowering in the chair. He knew Wes, they had met when Blaine transferred and had instantly clicked, so he knew that only one thing would calm his friend down. Blaine grabbed both of Wes's shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes. Blaine stared into the varying shades of browns that had helped him through his toughest times. When he knew he had Wes's full attention he spoke.

"Wes, in my room there is a package of gummy worms. I want you to go get them, sit on my bed, and not leave my room until you have eaten yourself back into your usual, calm demeanour." There was no room for argument in Blaine's tone. Wes looked at his project, then back to Blaine. Blaine could already tell he was a lot calmer at just the mention of his favourite snack. Wes left the room in silence and walked down the hallways towards Blaine's room.

Blaine sighed, glad that the worst was over, and surveyed the room. "Don't you all have homework to do?" he questioned the few students that had remained to see the dispute. The Easton's left the room quickly without so much as a single look back into the room. Blaine went to go sit beside Andrew on the couch.

"Andrew, are you alright?" Andrew just looked up at Blaine and gave a half-smile.

"I think I'll be okay, it all just happened so fast. I mean, one second I was looking at Wes's project and the next thing I know I'm spilling my cappuccino all over it and Wes is trying to kill me." Blaine shook his head slowly, not trusting how well Andrew was taking this.

"Andrew, when I walked in you looked like you were trying to push yourself right into your chair. I know Wes can be a little intense sometimes but…" Blaine was cut off by a defiant jerk of Andrew's chin.

"Listen, Blaine, I was in shock, it all happened really fast. And yeah, I was scared, I mean, who wouldn't be? The important thing is that I know Wes didn't mean it and I completely agree with what he was saying. I was being a clumsy ditz and he had every right to get mad at me." Andrew's green eyes had begun to swirl like the ocean tides. Blaine had never seen the freshman so outspoken before, and he took it as a good sign.

"Alright, alright." Blaine held up his hands in surrender. "As long as you're not feeling victimized or bullied then I guess we're all good. How about we go to the kitchen and get some chips?"

Andrew got up right away and gave Blaine a look that could be best described as thankful. "Okay, but I get the bag of dill pickle!" He set off running down the hallway towards the stairs, with Blaine close at his heels.

**

* * *

**

Kurt looked at the two boys running down the hallway. They had both ran out of the common room so fast that they hadn't seen Kurt leaning against the window by the door. He had heard the whole thing from Wes's tantrum to Blaine and Andrew's talk. He smiled to himself as he gazed out the window at the Dalton grounds. Blaine had done a really good job in there and had diffused the problem in less than five minutes. He was going to make a great Dorm Advisor next year.

Kurt turned around to walk back to his dorm when he once again slammed into a body. He was about to lose his balance when two large, strong hands caught his arms. The hands brought him upright and he was suddenly pressed up against another body. Kurt looked up into amber eyes and smiled.

"Elliot, how many more times do you think I'm going to run into you today?" Kurt giggled and slid out of the senior's arms. "I swear, I run into you about as much as I run into Blaine. You two are bad for my health, you know."

Elliot almost reached out his hands to grab Kurt and pull him back up against himself. It was hard for him to believe that such a delicate, innocent creature could have terrorized into transferring to a different school. Elliot had been star struck the moment he had seen Kurt on his first day at Dalton. He had been expecting a boy like any other, but what he had found was not like anything he had ever seen.

The boy standing in front of him was slender with narrow shoulders. He had flawless skin the color of porcelain, and his hair was quaffed up immaculately without a piece straying. Elliot had been rendered speechless but it was nothing compared to the first time he gazed into Kurt's eyes. They were blue-green and reminded him of a stormy ocean. Elliot would come to realize that Kurt's eyes changed color with his mood and was further entranced by them every time he looked into them.

Elliot suddenly realized that he was staring at Kurt in what had to be an unattractive way. He honestly lost all capability to think when he was around Kurt. Most times he played it off well and Kurt never suspected anything, but sometimes Elliot would lose himself in those gorgeous eyes and couldn't help but wonder if Kurt knew how he felt about him.

"As I recall it was you who ran in to me, both times actually." Elliot smiled his most charming smile at Kurt and hoped that the junior wouldn't notice that he had been staring.

Kurt scoffed playfully and rolled his eyes. "And the fact that you were lurking right behind me is my fault then? I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Elliot."

"What were you doing standing by the window anyways? Quite an unusual spot to just stop at." Elliot inquired teasingly.

Kurt raised a delicate eyebrow and the action just about had Elliot doubled over. "Actually I was heading towards the common room to see what all the noise was about. I was about to walk in when it got really quiet, so I stayed out here and listened."

"Oh? And what did you hear?" Elliot drawled with a smile. He couldn't help but be comfortable around Kurt, even if it did bring out his dorky side.

"I heard Blaine doing an amazing job of breaking up a potential fight. You know, if you weren't graduating this year I'd say that you should watch your back for him next year." Elliot noticed the smile spreading across Kurt's face. He only ever dreamed of Kurt smiling for him like that.

"He will make a good Dorm Advisor one day, for sure. I have no doubts that he can handle these guys." Elliot smirked a little at the thought of calm, collected Blaine handling all the craziness that went on in Easton.

"I think you're right." Kurt peered up at Elliot and flashed him a blinding smile. Elliot's mind went blank at the sight of the shorter boy. Kurt's smile did crazy things to his heart, like causing it to beat right out of his chest.

Elliot was brought back to his surroundings by a small nudge to his shoulder. He looked down and saw Kurt looking at him questioningly.

"What?" Elliot mentally slapped himself. Could he sound any dumber? Probably not even if he tried.

Kurt just giggled and rolled his eyes. "I asked you if you wanted to walk to dinner with me. I think most of the boys have already headed over to the cafeteria."

Elliot's chest swelled to the point when he thought it would burst. Was there no end to the cuteness? "I would be honoured to walk with you, Kurt" Elliot offered his arm and was delighted when Kurt rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand, practically skipping to the cafeteria.

**

* * *

**

Wes was still seething when David walked in. He had eaten his way through half of Blaine's gummy worms and wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. He knew that Blaine kept then on hand for the sole purpose of calming people down, with Wes being the one who was in constant need of calming down.

He had barely even noticed when his best friend had walked into the room. David was known for his stealth and had startled his fair share of people. However, the fact that he had managed to sneak up on Wes was something else entirely. The two best friends knew each other so well that pretty much nothing one did could surprise the other. If David could sneak up on Wes with almost no difficulty that meant there was something wrong.

David put his hand on Wes's shoulder and felt him give a surprised start. "Wes, what's wrong?" David lowered himself to sit next to Wes, who was sitting on Blaine's bed.

Wes kept his eyes trained on the bag of gummy worms in front of him and spoke in a small, quiet voice. "I worked on that project for weeks. I'm just upset that it's ruined now."

"Wes, please don't lie to me." Wes looked up at David knowingly. "You're my best friend; I think I can tell when you're hiding something."

"You always can tell when I'm upset."

"Don't try and change the subject. As your best friend I also know all your little tricks, and changing the subject just so happens to be one of them."

Wes sighed. He knew better than to hide anything from David. They had known each other for years and had become the best of friends almost instantaneously. He knew he should tell David the truth, but he wanted to keep this to himself a little longer. "There's nothing wrong David. I was just upset about seeing all my hard work being destroyed in less than thirty seconds, but I'm over it now. Quite frankly, I worked up quite the appetite from all that yelling, one that can't be tamed by gummy worms. What do you say we head down for dinner?"

David observed his friend quickly. Wes was a terrible actor and he knew something was bothering him. However, if there was one thing that he had learned about Wes it was that he would tell him what was wrong when he was ready. Until then, he would bottle up his feelings and let them fester. David could only hope that Wes would tell him what was wrong before it was too late.

"Sure buddy, I'm starved. I heard that there's chocolate pudding for desert tonight." David stood up and offered his hand to Wes, who took it and pulled himself off Blaine's bed. They walked down the hall together, both knowing that this charade couldn't last long.

**

* * *

**

Blaine and Andrew both got to the kitchen in record time. They had just gotten the chips out when Blaine had realized what time it was.

"Oh man, Andrew, it's almost time for dinner. Maybe we should just head straight over to the cafeteria."

"That's probably a good idea. I don't think these chips are going to cut it." As if to extenuate his point, Andrew's stomach growled audibly. He looked down, horrified and clasped his hands over his midsection.

Blaine laughed at Andrew's reaction and nudged his shoulder. "Well it sounds like you need to eat, and soon. Let's go, I'll walk with you."

Blaine left the kitchen with Andrew close behind, so close that Andrew ran straight into Blaine's back when the older boy decided to stop suddenly. Andrew peeked around Blaine and was surprised to see Kurt standing there with Elliot. The feeling of surprise didn't come from seeing the two boys together, but from the fact that they were holding hands. It had obviously surprised Blaine too, judging from his reaction of seeing the two boys.

**

* * *

**

Blaine looked from Kurt to Elliot, then back to Kurt. He then looked down at their hands, which were grasped in one another's. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach, leaving no air in his lungs. What was Kurt doing holding this other boy's hand? He thought that Kurt wasn't a tactile person. The only person he had ever seen Kurt touch was himself, and it was in a strictly platonic way. Holding each other's hands, nudging shoulders, the occasional hug; but this looked so much more intimate. It was completely unnerving and Blaine found himself unable to look away from their joined hands.

Kurt noticed where Blaine was looking and remembered he was holding hands with Elliot. He quickly dropped the seniors' hand, not noticing the look of loss in his eyes.

"Hey Blaine...Andrew. We were just heading to dinner, care to join us?" Blaine's head snapped back up to look at Kurt. An unreadable look passed over his face before being replaced by his usual smile.

"Sure, were just about to leave too. Elliot, do you mind going ahead with Andrew? I have to ask Kurt some questions about a history test we have." Kurt looked at Blaine in confusion, but Blaine just shook his head slightly.

"Yeah, no problem Blaine. Come on Andrew, I'm starving." The two boys walked away, both talking animatedly about how food deprived they were.

Kurt turned to Blaine as soon as the two were out of earshot. "Okay, what's going on? You and I both know that we don't have a history test coming up."

Blaine looked at the floor and mumbled something at his shoes. Kurt rolled his eyes and poked his friend in the ribs. "You know very well that I can't hear you. Now would you look at me and tell me what's going on?"

Blaine screwed his eyes shut and lifted his head. "I asked if you and Elliot are dating." Kurt raised a single eyebrow and scoffed. This was enough to make Blaine open his eyes and actually look at the boy in front of him.

"Well I don't really see how that's any of your business, but, no. We're not dating. We were talking in the hallway and I offered to walk with him to dinner. He was taking too long so I grabbed his hand to hurry him up a little." Kurt crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "Would it be a problem if I was dating him?"

Blaine could feel his face redden at the question. "No! N-no, it wouldn't be a problem. I was just curious, that's all."

Blaine thought he saw a look of disappointment cross Kurt's features, but when he blinked Kurt's face had returned to its usual state of happiness.

"Well if that's all you needed let's go to dinner. I would rather get there when the food is still hot." Kurt began to walk ahead, leaving Blaine behind to stare at him. Blaine ran to catch up with him after a few seconds, once he was done mentally cheering at the fact that Kurt was still his best friend and single. It wasn't that Blaine wanted Kurt to be lonely forever, he just wanted his best friend to find the best person possible, and he had a feeling that Elliot didn't fit that description.

"Kurt! Wait up!" Blaine ran up to walk with the countertenor. It didn't really matter if Kurt walked away from him from time to time; he knew Kurt would always wait.

**

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**

After dinner Kurt told the others to head back to Easton without him. He had forgotten some sheet music in the choir room and was going to get them before Wes could call him irresponsible. He walked with purpose through the quiet hallways and opened the heavy oak doors, slipping inside without a sound. He saw his music, sitting right where he had left it and picked it up from the top of the piano. He was about to walk out when he paused, looking back at the piano. It was a gorgeous instrument, one of the best he had ever seen, and he wanted nothing more than to play on the inverted keys and hear the melodic, perfectly tuned notes float from it.

Kurt looked around and after making sure that no one was listening, walked over to sit on the bench. He played tentatively at first, testing out the sound. The notes gradually got stronger and he began to play with more gusto. His voice rang out clear and steady when he began to sing along.

_I'm tugging at my hair,_

_I'm pulling at my clothes,_

_I'm trying to keep my cool._

_I know it shows._

Kurt thought of all the times he had been flustered around his crushes. He had always been so proud and confident, but it all melted away once he started talking to his crush.

_I'm staring at my feet,_

_My cheeks are turning red,_

_I'm searching for the words inside my head._

_Cause I'm feeling nervous,_

_Trying to be so perfect,_

_Cause I know you're worth it,_

_You're worth it,_

_Yea-ah_

His old crushes had come and gone without too much heartbreak. Kurt thought this was mainly because they were just what they appeared to be, crushes and nothing more. He may have thought he was in love at the time but when he looked back he could see that nothing could be further from the truth, and the truth was that his current object of affection was so much more than a crush.

_If I could say what I want to say,_

_I'd say I want to blow you...away._

_Be with you every night,_

_Am I squeezing you too tight?_

_If I could say what I want to see,_

_I want to see you go down,_

_On one knee._

_Marry me today,_

_Guess I'm wishing my life away._

_With these things I'll never say._

Kurt was lost in his singing. He hadn't sung with this much passion in a long time. He was so into his playing that he didn't notice when the door opened slightly, enough to allow someone to slip in. He also didn't notice when his watcher walked up behind him, quietly listening to Kurt pour his heart out.

_What's wrong with my tongue?_

_These words keep slipping away._

_I stutter, I stumble,_

_Like I've got nothing to say._

_Cause I'm feeling nervous,_

_Trying to be so perfect._

_Cause I know you're worth,_

_You're worth it._

_Yea-ah-ah!_

_If I could say what I want to say,_

_I'd say I want to blow you...away._

_Be with you every night,_

_Am I squeezing you too tight?_

_If I could say what I want to see,_

_I want to see you go down,_

_On one knee._

_Marry me today._

__

Guess I'm wishing my life away,

_With these things I'll never say._

_These thing I'll never say._

Kurt trailed off near the ending, growing quieter and quieter as he realized the truth in the words he was singing. He did want someone that was too good for him. He wanted him more than anything in the world, but was it worth losing a friend over? As Kurt was contemplating his options a hand came down on his shoulder. Startled, Kurt stood up, knocking the piano bench over as he did so. He turned quickly to face the intruder and was surprised at who he saw.

"Elliot? What are you doing here?" Elliot had a faraway look in his eyes, like he was there but not totally paying attention.

"I came back to check on you...you looked upset at dinner...then I heard singing...followed the music." Elliot grew quieter as he talked, avoiding eye contact with the boy standing in front of him.

"You're not making any sense Elliot," Kurt saw Elliot's eye snap into focus. Their amber depths were swirling with something that looked like determination.

"Kurt, there's something I need to tell you."

**

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**

_In the next episode: How will Kurt react to Elliot's speech? How will Blaine? What secret is Wes hiding, and will David be able to help his friend?_


	3. Discovery and Regret

_[A/N]: So guess what? I was so excited to post this chapter that I forgot to edit it properly before putting it up...*facepalm* I'm going to say that this is because I had to go a whole week without internet (I stared at a wall the whole time), and is therefore less my fault! Ahhhh how I love to divert all shame from myself. Aaannnyyyywwaaayyyysss, here's the third chapter of TPM, and sorry to all those who may have thought there was a new chapter already... It was just me...being overly excited :)_

_Disclaimer: pppffffttt...if I owned Glee my brain would asplode ;)_

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Kurt looked at Elliot. He sounded so apprehensive, Kurt wondered what could possibly be making his usually calm DA act like this. The older boy was visibly paler, and Kurt could see sweat forming on his brow.

"I'm listening Elliot. What do you have to say to me?" If it was bad news Kurt wanted it as quick as possible, stalling just meant more time for him to be nervous.

Elliot took a visibly deep breath and seemed to make his mind up about something. "So...um, what I wanted to tell you was...that..."

Elliot didn't get to finish his sentence because at that exact moment Blaine barrelled through the door. Elliot whipped his head around, looking at the younger boy with a vicious fire in his eyes, and was surprised to see a triumphant smile spread across Blaine's face.

"There you are Kurt! I was looking all over for you, I lost my key to our room and I need you to come let me in right away. Got to finish that English project if I want to hand it in tomorrow." Kurt just sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know what you'd do without me." Blaine just smiled brightly.

"Be locked out of my room all the time, and be forced to sleep on the couch in the common area?" Underneath his cheeky grin and teasing tone Elliot could see that Blaine was smug, it was in his eyes.

Kurt had already started to walk away, out of the choir room. Elliot thought quickly, he wasn't planning on giving up that easily.

"Well actually, Blaine, Kurt and I were just talking so maybe he could come back to help you later?" Elliot tried his hardest to keep his tone pleasant, but was finding it difficult to restrain himself.

Blaine just smirked at him from behind Kurt's back. "Kurt you know I hate to be a bother, but that project is due tomorrow. I would be so grateful if you could just come open the door." It was here that Blaine placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders and started to lead him away.

Kurt gasped for some reason unknown to Elliot. "Crap! I haven't even started that project yet! Are you sure it's due tomorrow?" After seeing Blaine nod his head, Kurt rushed out of the room. After a couple of seconds he poked his head back in and addressed Elliot in a quick manner. "Elliot, I'm really sorry, I know you have something that you want to talk to me about, but I've really got to get this project done. We can talk later, okay?"

Kurt was out the door before Elliot could even answer. Elliot looked over to Blaine, who was still smiling, and glared at him.

"What the hell, Blaine? Interrupt much?" Elliot was absolutely fuming, anger rolling off him in waves.

Blaine just gave an innocent shrug. "It's not my fault if I lose my keys, and it's definitely not my fault that I have a project due tomorrow. I was just trying to be a responsible Dalton student. You know, academics first and all."

Elliot could hear the smug tone that was boiling just under Blaine's innocent act. "You couldn't have waited, like, five minutes? I was in the middle of something pretty damn important!" Blaine raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Like what? Telling Kurt your feelings about him?" Elliot gasped, how had Blaine know about that? "Oh don't look so surprised Elliot, it's not like you hide your emotions well. I could tell from the first day that Kurt got here that you liked him."

It was Blaine's defensive tone that finally clicked everything into place in Elliot's mind. Blaine liked Kurt too, and he had just purposefully sabotaged Elliot's attempt to confess to Kurt. Elliot's eyes narrowed at Blaine.

"If you think that stopping me this one time is going to stop me forever, then you are miserably misguided. I won't stop until Kurt knows how I feel. I'll scream it from the rooftops if I have to!"

"Well considering how Kurt hates it when people make scenes, I'm sure that would be a great idea. You really don't know anything about him, do you?"

"Yes I do! I know enough to know that I like him!" Elliot let his indigence shine through.

"You do, do you? Who's his favourite designer?" Blaine crossed him arms.

"Well..."

"What's his favourite food?" Blaine hadn't even given Elliot a chance to guess.

"I don't..."

"What's his favourite song, Elliot?" At this point the disdain was abundantly obvious in Blaine's tone.

"That's not even relevant!" Elliot was getting tired of this. These questions had nothing to do with anything!

"You see Elliot? You don't know the first thing about Kurt; you just like him because he's attractive, and available, and has never had a boyfriend before. To you, he's effortless prey, and that's _not_ fair to him." Blaine knew he was calling it right from the look that suddenly appeared on Elliot's face. It was a stare that said someone had been caught in a lie. It was a stare that Blaine wasn't supposed to see.

"Oh, that hit a bit of a nerve didn't it?" Blaine knew that he was letting his dapper appearances slide, but this was imperative, and appearances weren't everything. "And why do you think _that_ is, Elliot? Maybe because you _know_ I'm right. You don't really care about Kurt; you care about what he can offer. I bet over there in your mind, you're thinking that he can fill the void that..."

Blaine was cut off suddenly by Elliot. He was right there in Blaine's face, breathing heavily, breathless almost, and looking at Blaine with a crazed look in his eyes. "_Don't._ Do not." Blaine, initially caught off guard by the sudden movement, regained his composure and brushed Elliot off.

"I don't care about that fact that you're older. I don't care that you're my DA, and I most definitely _do not _care if you pine after my best friend. But if you hurt him, Elliot, I _will _return the favour." And with that Blaine threw the doors open with a flourish, leaving his elder in the choir room, contemplating what had just occurred.

* * *

Kurt had raced back to his room as quickly as possible. He was normally not one to forget things, but this project had gotten lost in the mass of all the other things he had to get done. He felt absolutely foolish, to be honest. He tried his hardest to keep a level head and stay ahead of the game, but with this new work load it was nearly impossible to keep up.

He had already been working on his English for fifteen minutes when Blaine walked in. Kurt was concentrating on his project so hard that he barely noticed the door opening, emitting a flushed Blaine into the room.

Blaine closed the door behind him and took in the room. His eyes landed on the slender boy, sitting at his desk, working diligently on his homework. Blaine gazed fondly at his best friend. The lights in the room were off, but Kurt's desk lamp was on, illuminating his side of the room. The lamp was placed just so, so from where Blaine was standing it looked as though Kurt had a halo of light encompassing his head. Blaine could feel himself relax noticeably. He was so different around Kurt, and he knew it. He just couldn't bring himself to unwind around his school mates as much as he could whilst with Kurt.

Kurt could feel eyes on him and glanced around the room. He smiled when he saw a curly-headed boy at the door. "Hey, where'd you go? I thought that you were right behind me?" Kurt's tone was soft and reserved; like he was scared he'd startle Blaine.

"I, um...had to talk to Elliot, about some...stuff." Blaine mentally chastised himself, could he have been anymore suspicious?

Kurt looked at Blaine and cocked his head to the side. Something seemed off about Blaine, like there was something he wasn't saying. They were best friends; they told each other everything, so naturally Kurt could tell when Blaine was holding back. "Blaine, do you feel alright?"

Blaine's eyes widened and he ran a hand through his quickly escaping curls – his hair always ran amok at the end of the day. "Yeah, I'm just tired; it's been a long day." If he didn't keep himself in check Kurt was going realize something was up and that was the last thing Blaine needed.

"You definitely have been stressed lately." Kurt decided then that his friend was more important than his homework, and he disregarded the assignment completely. He could always finish it at lunch tomorrow anyways. Kurt lost himself in thought for a moment, then immediately sat up straight as an idea hit him. "I know just what you need! Go get your pyjamas on and then come straight back here, okay?"

Blaine just looked at Kurt, wondering what he was up to. He didn't have too long to think about it because he was suddenly being pushed into their shared bathroom, his pyjamas thrust into his hands, and the door shut unceremoniously in his face. Well, whatever idea that Kurt had must be a good one for him to get so worked up, so quickly.

Blaine took his time changing, brushing his teeth and quickly splashing water on his face before leaving the bathroom. Obviously Blaine had taken more than enough time, because when he re-entered his room it had completely changed. The lamp had now been shut off; the only light in the room was coming from what seemed to be dozens of candles.

Kurt walked over and grabbed Blaine's hand, leading him towards his bed.

"Lay down." Kurt commanded, still using a soft tone. "On your stomach, please." Blaine did as he was told and laid down, still wondering what Kurt could have planned.

Blaine allowed himself to relax a little, taking in a deep breath. Their whole room smelled of vanilla, one of Blaine's favourite scents. His eyes fluttered and he found himself becoming less stressed by the minute. Suddenly Kurt did something that had Blaine tense up all over again.

Kurt's hands were on Blaine's back, rubbing small, sure patterns into his muscles. It was here that Blaine realized what Kurt intended to do to help him. He should have known from the start, it was Kurt's answer to everything. Massages were Kurt's specialty you could say.

Blaine felt himself relax once again, reduced to a puddle under the skilful hands working their way across his back. Kurt's hands were like magic, relieving all tension from Blaine's muscles. Blaine was just starting to doze off when he felt a warm breath tickle the back of his neck.

"Blaine...?" Kurt had stopped, and Blaine almost whined at the loss of contact. He could feel his muscles instantly tensing back up, had he done something to push Kurt away?

"What's the matter, Kurt?" Blaine mumbled, still hazy from the feeling of being touched.

"Well, um... I was wondering if...um, if you could..." Kurt cleared his throat. "Take off your shirt." He finished the sentence in a barely heard whisper.

Blaine twisted his head to the side and smirked at Kurt. "My goodness, Mr. Hummel, are you trying to seduce me?" Kurt blushed a deep crimson and lightly smacked Blaine's arm.

"I'm just trying to help you Blaine, and it would be a lot easier for me to continue if you took off your shirt. You do want me to keep going, right?" Kurt knew instantly that he had gained the upper hand in the situation. Blaine began to undo the buttons on his flannel shirt and pulled it off his shoulders, achingly slow. He let the shirt drop to the floor and then buried his face back into his pillow.

Kurt just stared at the boy beside him. He was even more gorgeous than Kurt could have ever imagined. From his well-defined shoulders to his thin waist, there was absolutely nothing displeasuring about the boy lying in front of him. Kurt began to trace words lightly across Blaine's back, feeling him shiver from the touch. Kurt started to work the knots out of Blaine's back once again; this kid could barely stay calm enough for Kurt to finish a half-decent massage.

After a few seconds of working on a particularly difficult knot, Kurt realized what he would have to do to do this job correctly. He took a deep breath and just blurted it out.

"Blaine, I'm going to have to move a little to finish, okay?"

Blaine just sighed, feeling completely content. "Okay, do what you have to do." This is what Kurt liked the most about Blaine; he was so easy to get along with. He never made a fuss, and he rarely complained. Kurt was willing to wager that if he hadn't learned to tell when Blaine was upset, he wouldn't be where was right now.

Kurt took another deep, calming breath and stood up. Carefully, he climbed up on Blaine's bed, with one leg on each side of his roommate's body. Slowly, he lowered himself into a half-kneeling, half-sitting position, right on top of Blaine's lower back. Blaine seemed to be taking this in without any objection and Kurt let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He set back to work on Blaine's back, moving his hands expertly from one knot to the next.

He could feel every breath Blaine took, every sigh he let out, it was absolutely mesmerizing. After about twenty minutes, Kurt realized that Blaine's breaths had gotten a lot shallower. Kurt paused for a moment, seeing in Blaine would protest to the lack of pressure, but was answered only with a content sigh.

Kurt gracefully moved off Blaine's back, still with no movement from the other boy. Kurt gazed at him in a way that could only be described as lovingly. Blaine was so much like a child at times, so much so that Kurt knew he would do anything within his power to protect the boy lying in front of him.

Kurt moved quietly about the room, blowing out nearly burnt-out candles and switching his bedside lamp on. He changed into his silky green pyjamas and walked into the bathroom.

After doing his nightly moisturizing routine he walked back into the room. His pace slowed as he walked past Blaine's bed. He looked so much like an angel that it made Kurt's heart swell. Not really realizing what he was doing, Kurt quickly leaned in and kissed Blaine's forehead. His skin felt warm and smooth against Kurt's lips. Kurt closed his eyes and took yet another deep breath. He stood up and sighed, smiling down at his best friend. Kurt knew he could never do anything that could possibly destroy their friendship. He needed Blaine too much, so much that Kurt was afraid to admit it sometimes.

All at once Blaine began to whimper, eyes twitching beneath their lids. Kurt thought that it may have been him that had cause the discomfort, but then realized what must be happening; it wasn't too hard to figure out. They were both gay, chased out of their schools by homophobes, so of course they had nightmares. They always took turns comforting each other, doing whatever it took to calm the other down. Kurt knew he had to help his friend calm down before his nightmare got any worse.

He began to hum a song, one that had just popped into his mind. He hummed the opening cords as he gingerly sat on the edge of Blaine's bed. Blaine's whimpering seemed to die down so Kurt continued, quietly singing the words to a song that he had once heard, but had never thought he himself would sing.

_When I was younger I saw,_

_My daddy cry,_

_And curse at the wind._

_He broke his own heart and I watched,_

_As he tried to reassemble it._

Blaine had visibly calmed down, his whimpering almost gone completely as the softly sung words made their way into his dreams.

_And my momma swore that she would,_

_Never let herself forget._

_And that was the day that I promised._

_I'd never sing of love if it does not exist._

Blaine had rolled over onto his side at this point, pressing himself into Kurt, wriggling until he was curled almost right around him.

_But darling,_

_You are the only exception._

_Well, you are the only exception._

_You are the only exception,_

_You are the only exception._

With Blaine cocooned up safely beside himself, Kurt found it hard to belief that anyone could even try to hurt this boy. He was so innocent and sweet and inherently good. Kurt thought back to his last days at McKinley, filled with terror and loneliness, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Blaine had shown up, pulling him up from the darkness and showing him a better way. In a way, Blaine had saved Kurt. He had saved him from the darkness that was quickly becoming an unavoidable part of Kurt's day. Kurt would never be able to thank Blaine enough for what he had done for him, but he would sure as hell try his hardest.

_Well, maybe I know somewhere,_

_Deep in my soul,_

_That love never lasts._

_And we've got to find other ways,_

_To make it alone,_

_Or keep a straight face._

_And I've always lived like this,_

_Keeping a comfortable distance._

_And up until now,_

_I had sworn to myself that I'm content,_

_With loneliness,_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk._

Blaine's eyes had stopped moving so rapidly underneath his eyelids. His breaths were once again becoming shallow and Kurt could tell that the worst was over. He had successfully chased away the bad memories and nightmares, and he hoped that he had left nothing but happiness in their place.

_You are the only exception,_

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception, _

_You are the only exception._

_And I'm on my way to believing,_

_Oh, and I'm on my way to believing._

Kurt gently stood up and pulled Blaine's blanket up around his shoulders. He wasn't wearing a shirt anymore, and the Dalton rooms got cold at night. Kurt tucked his best friend in, letting his motherly instincts kick in. He brushed Blaine's curls out of his eyes and headed drowsily over to his own bed. He pulled back the blankets and sheets and crawled in, turning off his lamp once he got settled. At one point in his life, not very long ago, the dark had scared him. It was something that was unpredictable, something that couldn't be trusted. After Blaine had found him the dark had become less terrifying. Kurt had thought it was just a coincidence at the time.

But now he knew, as long as Blaine was there to help him, he would never be scared of the dark again.

* * *

David and Wes were late, not that it was that big of a difference to their daily routine. They were very rarely on time, and when they were it was only a result of waking up at a ludicrous time. No one in Easton could explain it properly. The two boys would wake up at seven, leaving plenty of time to get ready and eat breakfast before their classes commenced at eight thirty. For some reason unknown though, the two roommates were always rushing to eat their breakfast and usually had to run to their first class. It was like they somehow lost track of time, leaving them hurrying.

They were in the process of shovelling down their respective cereals when David realized that something was still off about Wes. David looked at his friend more closely and wondered what could possibly be bothering him. Just when he thought he couldn't take the silence anymore, Wes spoke up.

"I'm thinking you should take a picture." David looked at Wes questioningly, what should he be taking a picture of, exactly? "You know, because it would last longer." David saw the smirk playing across Wes' lips and instantly knew what was going on. Wes had caught him staring and now he was calling him out on it.

"I would but I don't want to break the lens." David replied quickly, sticking put his tongue, not caring if he looked like a child.

"David! You're killing my self-esteem over here man! How will I ever be able to show my face in public again?" David laughed at the fake vanity in Wes' voice.

"Somehow I think you'll make it." David answered with a chuckle. He knew that Wes was trying to take his attention elsewhere, but David wasn't so easily deterred. His laughing stopped as he saw that look flash through Wes' eyes. It had been there for the last couple of days and no matter what happened around them, the look always came back. It was as if something was weighing Wes down, preventing him from really smiling.

Wes must have seen that way that David was looking at him, because he shook his head slightly. "Not yet, David." David had to lean forward to hear the words his friend was saying. "Soon, but not yet." David slouched back in his chair. He knew that Wes would tell him when he was ready, but when was he going to be ready?

* * *

The morning passed relatively calmly. There had only been a few of incidents, and only one of them had actually involved an Easton. Blaine had no reason to be feeling as anxious as he was, but he still couldn't calm down.

He had had a horrible dream last night, a mixing of old and new fears all rolled up into one big nightmare. It had started out with Blaine walking down the hallways of his old school. He felt himself start to get more and more worried, his steps becoming quicker and quicker until he was at a dead run. Just as he was turning a corner an arm came out and wrapped around his throat. The arm belonged to one of his old tormentors. Blaine had waiting for the abuse to start, expecting punches and kicks to his body, but was surprised when the arm began to lead him to the school's choir room.

They stood outside the door for a few seconds, with Blaine wondering what sadistic thing his bully could be thinking of doing. Then Blaine heard it. There were sounds coming from the room, little gasps and moans. Blaine was wondering what could possibly going on in there, when the door opened slightly. Blaine had poked his head in and saw something that was ten times worse than anything the bully could have done to him.

He saw Kurt, pressed up against the piano, kissing some other boy. Blaine could see the passion rolling off the two in waves. It was all tongues and roaming hands, the unknown gasps and moans from earlier being fully explained now. Blaine couldn't mistake the dark hair of Kurt's partner for anyone else. It was Elliot, his hands running over Kurt's chest, caressing his face.

Blaine's heart had broken in two. He tried to look away but found that he couldn't, his bully had grabbed his head and made it impossible for Blaine to move. Tears filled Blaine's eyes, wishing he could be the one making Kurt moan in pleasure. Then he had heard the words that Kurt spoke, husky from the kissing.

"I'm so glad I picked you." Blaine found that he could no longer breathe. Kurt had _chose_ Elliot? Surely there was some mistake; Kurt would never pick anyone like Elliot, would he?

As if to extenuate this point the boy behind him leaned down, whispering in his ear. "You see that, homo? That's the sight of you _never_ finding love." Suddenly the hands were gone and Blaine was left alone. He fell to the floor, falling deeper and deeper into a pit of darkness, when suddenly he heard something.

It was a song, sung by an angel, it seemed. Blaine took once last fleeting glance at the two in the choir room, they hadn't even noticed him there, and started to walk in the direction of the song.

He caught snippets of the song here and there, and walked faster in an attempt to find the one singing it. He knew that melodic voice anywhere, and was eager to see the face behind it. Suddenly, Blaine had seen a blinding light, causing him to stop walking. He finally heard the song, loud and clear, ringing in his ears.

_You are the only exception._

_You are the only exception._

Blaine looked up and saw Kurt, walking towards him. He was wearing all white, white skinny jeans, white silky blouse, white converse. There was a bright light shining right behind him, the origin unknown to Blaine, outlining Kurt in gold. The light shadowed Kurt's face, but Blaine could still see the gorgeous smile resting upon the other boy's features as he sang. They were a few feet apart when Kurt stretched out his hand.

Blaine took it without a second thought, yearning for the touch of this angel in human's clothes. The moment their hands touched Blaine was encompassed in warmth, chasing away all the bad thoughts. The light behind Kurt shone brighter and suddenly it was just him and Kurt, as if nothing else mattered. He focused on the words that Kurt was singing at the moment.

_Oh, and I'm on my way to believing._

Blaine was beginning to believe too. He leaned forward, getting closer and closer to Kurt's lips, when suddenly he woke up. He was surprised to see an unkempt Kurt standing over him, shaking his shoulders.

"Blaine wake up! We overslept and if we don't hurry up we're going to be late!" Kurt disappeared and Blaine realized that he had been dreaming. He groaned inwardly, of course he had been dreaming. But if he had been dreaming that meant that Kurt kissing Elliot had been a dream too. This thought made Blaine relax and feel a little bit better.

Blaine had gotten up shortly after that and proceeded with his day. Despite the happy ending to his dream, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the part concerning Elliot. He had known Elliot since he transferred here, and he was not one to give up.

Blaine was going to have to do something about that.

* * *

Kurt hurried to lunch, determined to get a good table. He walked into the cafeteria and saw that most of the good tables were already taken. He sighed in displeasure and had begun looking around for the best options when he saw two pairs of hands waving wildly in his direction. He looked down slightly to see who the arms belonged to and smiled when he saw the culprits.

Wes and David had somehow managed to get an amazing table, and had saved room for Blaine and Kurt. Kurt walked over to his friends with a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Hey guys!" Kurt looked questioningly at the empty seats, making sure that they were indeed for Blaine and himself, and after Wes nodded at him he sat down. "So how was your morning?"

"Fairly good, Mr. Price was a bit of an asshat, but that's to be expected." Kurt just laughed at David. He and Mr. Price had an ongoing feud that had started before Kurt had transferred, and when Kurt had asked around about the cause of it, he found that no one really knew.

"Well, I'm to go get some lunch, then."

Wes snorted. "And by lunch you mean salad, which shouldn't constitute as a meal."

"Well, Wesley, maybe if you ate some more salad..." Kurt let his sentence die off, knowing he didn't have to finish to get his point across.

Wesley gasped and looked at his stomach, clenching it. "Kurt Hummel! Is that a fat joke?" Wes knew Kurt was only joking, if Kurt thought that Wes was looking heavier he would have done something sneaky to change it. It was just the kind of person Kurt was.

"I'm just saying." Kurt replied while shrugging his shoulders. A tell-tale smirk slipped across his face as he walked to the line up.

He walked back with his salad and water and sat down. Something must have happened while Kurt was gone, because the two boys were strangely quiet. Wes was just staring at the table, his lunch forgotten, while David stared at Wes. Kurt decided that if the two friends were having problems he would let them work it out themselves. The three boys ate in silence, the only sounds present being the ones from forks on plates, and from the occupants of the tables around them. When Kurt was just about finished eating he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. The silence was turning out to be deafening, and Blaine still hadn't shown up for lunch.

Kurt pushed his plate away and stood up. "Guys...guys!" The two boys looked up at Kurt as if coming out of a trance. "I'm going to go find Blaine; it's not like him to miss a meal."

David was the first to answer. "Alright Kurt, text us when you find out what's up."

Wes managed to mumble a quick goodbye and returned to staring at the table.

David just sighed and shook his head. He hoped that this would all be over and done with soon.

* * *

Kurt found Blaine less than five minutes. It wasn't that hard even. Kurt knew that whenever Blaine skipped meals it meant he was upset, and when he was upset the first thing he turned to was music. Kurt left the cafeteria and walked straight to the Warbler's choir room. Sure enough as he got closer he heard soft chords being played on the piano.

Kurt paused for a second, the chords sounded so familiar. He then realized it was because they were the opening chords to the song Kurt had sung last night. He walked cautiously forward and looking into the room. He had guessed right. There was Blaine, blazer off, seated in front of the piano, letting his fingers ghost across the keys.

Kurt walked up to him and when he was halfway to the piano, Blaine looked up. Once he saw that it was Kurt he just smiled and directed his attention back towards the piano.

"I didn't know you liked Paramore." Kurt spoke in a soft tone, for he feared that if he spoke any louder he would shatter the peacefulness in the room.

"Oh, is that who this is by? I just heard it somewhere and started playing it. Subconscious, I guess." Kurt smiled slightly; he had a pretty good guess where Blaine had heard it.

"So...how was your sleep last night? Anything you want to tell me?" Kurt had decided that if he didn't prompt Blaine he wasn't going to get anything out of him.

Blaine just looked at Kurt with shock in his eyes. "How did you...?"

"You fell asleep after the massage." Kurt shrugged a shoulder, blushing a little. "Right after you fell asleep you got restless. I figured it must have been a nightmare, so I sung to you until you calmed down."

Now it was Blaine's turn to blush. "And you sung this song to me?" Once again Blaine's fingers played the beginning of the song, getting every note right.

Kurt just nodded. "It was the first song that popped into my head."

If only Kurt knew how much that song had saved Blaine last night, it had pulled him out of a darkness that he had been sure he couldn't escape. Blaine remembered the reason he had been sinking into that darkness, and felt that now was a perfect time to address the problem.

"Kurt, can I ask you something?" Blaine looked at Kurt out of the corner of his eye, afraid that if he looking right into Kurt's stunning eyes he would lose his resolve.

"Of course, Blaine. You know you can ask me anything."

"Well I was just wondering if...you maybe liked..." Blaine knew he was stalling, maybe because he was afraid of what the answer could be.

"If I maybe liked who, Blaine?" Kurt's heart started beating frantically. Was Blaine going to ask him out? What would Kurt even say to that? They were best friends!

"Elliot. I was wondering if you like Elliot." Blaine blurted out the name as if it tortured him to do so. Kurt just stared at Blaine, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Where would you get an idea like that?" Kurt chuckled; he had nothing to worry about. "Elliot and I are friends, that's it."

Blaine let out a sigh of relief; that was exactly the answer he had been hoping for. He started to laugh alongside Kurt. They laughed with one another until Blaine heard Kurt quieten down.

Kurt turned his head to look at Blaine full-on, while Blaine did the same. Cerulean eyes met hazel ones and Blaine could see a question forming on Kurt's lips.

"Why would it matter if I liked him, Blaine?"

Blaine inhaled quickly, he hadn't been expecting this. What was he going to say? He couldn't tell Kurt his true motives; that would just scare him off. They were best friends!

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I was just wondering, that's all."

"Blaine, that is most certainly not all. You can't lie to me, I know you too well. What is there that you're not telling me?"

Blaine suddenly got defensive. "Nothing Kurt! I just thought that you liked him, so I asked."

"And what difference does it make to you who I do or do not like?" Kurt was so confused, Blaine wasn't making any sense.

"It _doesn't _Kurt! God! Why would I, of _all _people, care who you crush on?" Blaine knew he said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his mouth. He saw the hurt flash across Kurt's face, almost as if Blaine had slapped him.

"Kurt...I..." Blaine looked at Kurt with pleading eyes, begging him to understand. All Blaine saw was Kurt's face close off entirely. Blaine had never once seen an expression like that on Kurt's face, not even throughout the whole Karofsky ordeal had he made a face that looked like that.

It was a look of utter betrayal, barely hidden by Kurt's attempted poker face.

"No, Blaine. I think I know what you meant. I just have one question for you...if you don't care about me, _why are you still here?_"

"N...no, Kurt I...you just need to...I didn't mean..." Kurt looked at Blaine straight in the eye. The azure depths that Blaine used to be able to get lost in were now frozen over and hard. There was no hurt, no sadness, just hard, frozen ice.

"I'm leaving." Kurt left the room quickly, trying to get out before his tears started to fall.

Blaine just stood in the choir room, completely alone, wondering how they had gotten to this place.

* * *

Kurt walked quickly down the hallway towards the main entrance. He didn`t care about his afternoon classes, he knew he probably wouldn`t even make it back to the dorm without crying. He made it outside and broke into a run, trying to get to Easton as fast as possible. Tears were starting to cloud his vision, so he didn`t see the tall figure before he crashed into it. He bounced back hard and began to fall, not even trying to catch himself on the way down. He was expecting to hit the solid pavement but instead landed on something sturdy and warm. He couldn`t even care enough to see who the person was, he just wanted to get to his room.

He hastily stood up and mumbled a quick sorry, then started walking back to Easton. He didn`t make it very far before he felt a large hand circle his wrist and pull him back. Suddenly he was surrounded by warmth, the cold winter`s air no longer bothering him.

Kurt was just about to look up and see who was hugging him when the person spoke. "Kurt, what happened?" Kurt was struck by the bitter irony of the situation. Who else would comfort him other than the boy he had just fought with his best friend about.

"Elliot, I am so sorry for, well, for pretty much tackling you, I just...need to get to my room." Kurt pulled out of Elliot's arms and started to walk to Easton once again. After a few steps he felt, rather than saw, Elliot's presence.

"Elliot, if you don't head back you're going to be late for your classes. And I really think that I need to be..." Kurt was cut off by an indignant snort from Elliot.

"Believe me Kurt. The last thing you need is be alone. I mean, look at you; you need someone to be with you right now. I just happen to be here, but if you want me to go get Blaine, I know how good of friends you guys are..."

This time Elliot was cut off by Kurt. "No! I _do not_ need Blaine." Elliot was surprised by the hostility in Kurt's voice. He would have to ask him what had happened later but right now he just wanted to get Kurt out of the cold.

"Alright, let's go then." And with that Elliot grabbed Kurt's hand and led him towards their dorm.

* * *

It had taken a little while, but Elliot had finally gotten Kurt to calm down. The younger boy was now lying on his bed, drifting in and out of sleep. Elliot walked out of the bathroom carrying a cold wash cloth. He eased himself onto the bed beside Kurt and gently nudged him. Kurt rolled over onto his back and looked up questioningly at Elliot. Elliot sucked in a breath through his teeth. He had never once seen anyone this dazzling.

Even after crying Kurt was still absolutely radiant. His eyes were glassy and leaning towards a green color. His cheeks were rosy and so was the tip of his nose. Elliot thought that he could stare at this face all day, but knew that he would just freak Kurt out. He handed Kurt the wash cloth.

Kurt looked at it and cocked his head to the side. "You, um...you put it on your eyes. It's supposed to make the redness go away." Kurt just smiled up at Elliot and placed the cool cloth over his eyes, lying back down on the bed.

Elliot gazed at Kurt for a few seconds, and then gathered up all his courage. "I know you probably don't want to, but I think it would help if you talked about it."

Kurt took in a deep breath and let it go. "I think you're probably right." And so Kurt, with his eyes still closed, started explaining what had happened, from Blaine being missing for lunch, to the hurtful words that had been said, only leaving out the parts about Elliot.

Elliot took it all in without saying a word, listening intently to Kurt's words. After Kurt was done Elliot found he was having a hard time staying put, instead he wanted to track down Blaine and make him pay for making someone as amazing as Kurt cry. Somehow he managed to curb his murderous feelings and stay beside the younger boy. Kurt had begun to cry again halfway through the story and without thinking Elliot just pulled Kurt into himself. Kurt was now placed on top of Elliot's legs, which were positioned in an Indian-style. Kurt was shorter and his head fell perfectly onto Elliot's shoulders.

After Kurt was done his story his body became wracked with heart-wrenching sobs. Looking for a person to console him, he wrapped his arms around Elliot's waist and buried his face in the senior's shoulder. Elliot, surprised at first, wound his own arms around Kurt's neck in response. He couldn't believe that he was touching Kurt. The boy he had been dreaming about for weeks was now sitting in his lap, hugging him! He was torn between feeling ecstatic that Kurt was near him and upset that he was hurting. It honestly didn't matter though because to Elliot all was right in the world.

After Kurt's tears had once again subsided Elliot disentangled himself from Kurt and stood up. He laid the younger boy down and he just began to walk away when a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

He looked at his wrist and then to Kurt, shocked at the gesture. Kurt just feebly smiled. "Please don't go." Elliot had just barely heard him, but heard him nonetheless, and there was no way he was going to argue with Kurt's request.

Elliot smiled down at Kurt and climbed on the bed next to him. Kurt yet again surprised him and snuggled into his chest. Elliot had nothing else to do but curl his arms protectively around Kurt. Elliot sighed deeply with content. He could stay like this forever. Both boys began to drift off, Elliot falling asleep before Kurt.

Kurt craned his neck and look up at the shockingly gorgeous boy curled up against him. Before Blaine had said those horrible things, he had been the only boy that Kurt could see. All other's had only registered under 'friend' in his mind. But now that Blaine had said what his true feelings were, Kurt was beginning to see his situation in a whole new light. He was lying in his bed, practically cuddling a super-model gorgeous boy. Kurt sighed and wriggled in closer, resulting in Elliot subconsciously wrapping his arms tighter around Kurt.

Kurt had made up his mind. If Blaine didn't care if Kurt liked Elliot, then that was exactly what he was going to do.


	4. Lost and Found

_[A/N]: Hey there all! First of all I would like to apologize for the unacceptable wait. It's been a crazy couple of months, what with graduating, and finals and just life in general. I'm getting all ready for my first semester of college in the fall and I couldn't be more excited! But this is still not a good excuse for the wait between chapters. So I am sincerely sorry. It's almost summertime and I can guarantee you that I will be writing like a mad person. _

_That's pretty much all... as always you can follow me on tumblr at (forevermusically. tumblr. com) where I post about this fic and my other fic (Changelings). I hope you like this chapter and and if you don't shoot me a line, I'm always up for constructive criticism :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or it's characters._

* * *

Classes had just ended and Blaine hadn't even caught a glimpse of Kurt for the rest of the day. Blaine was starting to get really worried, what if Kurt went and did something reckless, or worse, what if Kurt was just avoiding Blaine. Blaine headed out of the main building and walked at a brisk pace towards Easton. He walked through the dorms large oak doors, feeling a little better. This place was like home to him, and he always felt at peace inside those walls.

He walked over to the winding staircase and climbed up to the second landing. Walking down the hallway he saw that last person that he could possibly want to see. All thoughts of peace and calm were gone as he stormed down the halls, intent on understanding why Elliot was standing outside his door.

Elliot was talking to someone inside his room, laughing as he did so. He didn't even notice Blaine until the door closed. Elliot turned to face down the hallway, his smile turning smug when his eyes landed on Blaine. He began to walk down the hall towards him. As soon as he was close enough Blaine grabbed the front of Elliot's shirt.

"What were you doing at my room?" Blaine growled. He had never felt more contempt towards any person in his whole life. The innocent look that graced Elliot's features was almost too much for Blaine to handle.

"Me? Oh you know, just consoling your roommate. You see, some ass earlier today broke his little heart. On his way back to the dorms he bumped into me and I offered to take him to his room. After he told me the whole story we fell asleep in each other's arms. Nice, huh?" The smug smile was back as Elliot brushed Blaine off.

"You little..." Blaine raised his fist but stopped himself. He couldn't get suspended, not because of Elliot.

"Easy there, Blaine. Wouldn't want to ruin that perfect track record of yours, now would we?" Blaine hated that Elliot knew just how much his records meant to him. Elliot knew that Blaine wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his future.

"Well, I'm off to get boxes. See you later, Blaine." Blaine almost gagged on Elliot's overly sweet voice. That guy really got to him; he just knew which buttons to push.

Just as Elliot was moving past Blaine he moved closer, narrowing the distance between them. Elliot grabbed the collar of Blaine's shirt and pulled him closer. Blaine could feel Elliot's hot breath in his ear and was too surprised to struggle. Then Elliot whispered in his ear. "Just so you know, that ass from earlier? It was you." And with that Elliot let go of Blaine, continuing down the hall.

Blaine was furious. Of course he had known he was the reason for Kurt being upset. Elliot was just trying to rub it in as best as he could. Blaine set off towards his room again, faintly hoping that Elliot needed boxes because he was leaving Dalton.

When Blaine got to his room he heard Kurt shuffling around inside. Blaine took a deep breath and exhaled, it was now or never, he had to make things right with Kurt, no matter what.

Blaine slipped his key into the lock and twisted the handle, letting himself inside. He walked into the room timidly, not wanting to see Kurt but knowing he had to. The entire rest of the day Blaine had been thinking about what he was going to say to apologize. The only thing he could think of was explain to Kurt exactly why he had acted as he did, and it was positively terrifying.

Blaine saw Kurt first, with his back turned to Blaine, leaning over his desk. He looked so small and fragile, and remorse hit Blaine all over again. That was, until Kurt started to speak.

"Elliot?" Kurt's laugh rang through the room. "You just le...oh." Kurt had turned around and saw that it wasn't Elliot standing behind him but Blaine. Blaine saw the joy slide right off Kurt's face and saw the joy be quickly replaced a look of sadness. Blaine's heart strained against his ribcage, he had caused this reaction, all because of his jealousy.

"Hey, Blaine." Kurt's eyes were downcast, as if hoping he could fall through the floor. Blaine wanted so badly to make everything right; he wanted his best friend back.

"Kurt, about earlier today, I..." Blaine didn't have the chance to finish his sentence because Kurt cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it Blaine. We were both saying things we didn't mean and we both got caught up in the heat of the moment." Kurt was still looking at the floor, as if he couldn't bring himself to look at Blaine.

Blaine wasn't about to let Kurt let him off the hook so easily. He knew if he wanted to make things completely right he would have to sincerely apologize. Blaine walked over to where Kurt was standing and grabbed his friend's hand. Kurt still refused to look up so Blaine gently cupped Kurt's chin and titled his head up. Their eyes met and Blaine gave his best smile, not a suave one or a charming one, one that said he was truly, deeply sorry.

"I _am_ sorry though. I said things that I shouldn't have and I lost control of my temper. You know I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. To be honest, even going through one afternoon without you was complete torture, so I need to know if you forgive me, and if not what I need to do to earn your forgiveness." At the end of his apology Blaine was practically pleading with Kurt. Kurt could see the need in his eyes and felt that need reflected in his own.

"You were forgiven right after you said it. I knew that you didn't mean it, I just needed to go be by myself for a while." Kurt knew his words were true as soon as they left his mouth. He couldn't stay mad at Blaine.

Blaine paused at Kurt's words, and then realizing that he was forgiven swept Kurt up in a hug. He let out a sigh of relief; he didn't know what he would do without Kurt in his life. As they were hugging Blaine happened to look over Kurt's shoulder, what he saw on Kurt's bed caused him to pull away.

"Kurt, why is your suitcase out?" Kurt opened his mouth then snapped it shut, averting his eyes to the floor. "You can't move out! I don't want another roommate! You just forgave me, why are you leaving!" Blaine knew he was having a full-on meltdown, but he had just got Kurt back. He didn't think he could stand the idea of losing him again.

"Blaine!" Kurt grabbed Blaine's face and looked into his eyes. This seemed to get his attention, as he stopped his panicked rambling. "I'm not moving out...permanently," Blaine let out a sigh of relief, ignoring the last word that Kurt had spoken; he wasn't losing his roommate. "I'm moving in with Jason for a week." Blaine's jaw dropped. Kurt's hands had left his face, and he could still feel the ghosts of Kurt's fingers against his cheeks.

Kurt seemed to sense that Blaine was about to start ranting again because he began to speak in a soothing tone. "I'm not mad at you, I just need some space."

Blaine looked at the floor. "You're punishing me." Blaine's throat constricted, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"I'm not Blaine, I promise you. But you did hurt me, for however short of time, and I just need some time to figure things out, okay?" Kurt refrained from telling Blaine that the main reason he was leaving was to try and get over him.

Blaine looked at Kurt's face, seeing that there was no way he was going to able to convince him to stay. "Okay, I hope you're able to figure things out."

"Hey...don't worry, I'll come back." Kurt flashed a radiant smile and it made Blaine a little less unsure.

Blaine laughed weakly. "Promise?"

Blaine knew he was being childish and needy, but he had to know that Kurt was going to return.

"I promise on Prada's spring collection, which is going to be to _die_ for, by the way." This time Blaine let out a hearty laugh, Kurt always knew just what to say to make him smile. Just as Blaine's laughter died down a knock came at the door.

"Come in!" Kurt seemed to know who was there before even seeing them. The door opened and Blaine's happiness left as quickly as it had come. Elliot stood in their doorway, an empty box held out in front of him. Blaine mentally slapped himself, that's what the older boy had meant by going to get boxes. Of course he was helping Kurt move out; he would do anything to help himself get closer to Kurt.

Elliot smirked at the sight of Blaine. The younger boy's face had absolutely crumbled when he had seen the senior. Elliot almost burst out laughing when he saw Blaine piece it all together.

"Hey Blainey!" Blaine scowled at the fake happiness; he hated Elliot, with every fibre of his being.

While Blaine was busy trying to burn holes in Elliot's face via glaring, he failed to notice Kurt walk over to Elliot and wrap his long fingers around the older boy's wrist. Kurt gave a gentle tug, and Elliot looked away from Blaine, becoming completely unaware of Blaine's presence.

Blaine just stood there, shell-shocked; staring at Elliot put some of Kurt's things into the box. Before Blaine knew it Elliot was leaving the room, taking the box with him down the hall, and Kurt was standing in front of him.

"Kurt..." Blaine's voice cracked, revealing just how upset he really was.

Kurt brought a single finger to Blaine's lips, silencing him. "Shhh... I've already made up my mind. This will be good for us, you'll see. We both depend on each other way more than what is normal. We both need to learn how to stand on our own for a while, okay?"

Blaine sighed, defeated, and nodded his head in reply. He knew that once Kurt made up his mind there was nothing he could do to change it. He could only wait this out and hope that in the end they would really be okay.

Kurt slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind himself. Blaine just stood there, staring at the door, wishing that Kurt would walk back in and say that it was all just a joke. He didn't know how long he stood there for but it was long enough for his legs to fall asleep, and almost collapse from underneath him.

As he crawled to his bed he tried to control some of the thoughts running through his head. Everything had been so perfect between them before he had screwed it up. If he had just told Kurt the truth none of this would have happened. Instead, he was a coward and kept his feelings to himself, so afraid that by telling Kurt of his feelings towards him he would scare the other boy off. Well, he still hadn't told Kurt how he felt and now he had managed to chase him off anyways.

Blaine slid under his sheets, leaving only his button-up shirt on, and let what had just happened sink in. He knew that he had screwed up, but if he acted quickly there might still be time to fix what had happened, before Elliot made his move.

* * *

Kurt walked down the hall to his new room. He knew Jason pretty well, they were both in Warblers together, but it would still be weird sharing a room with someone who wasn't Blaine. He turned the corner and stopped abruptly, barely preventing himself from walked straight into someone.

Kurt didn't even had to look up to know who it was, never in his life had he met someone that he was so prone to run into.

"Elliot, I swear! It's like you set yourself up to be run into!" Kurt threw his hands in the air, trying to show just how exasperated he was.

The older boy just moved closer to Kurt and raised his eyebrows. "Or maybe your subconscious really wants us to be closer." The smirk on Elliot's face was enough to cause Kurt to blush uncontrollably.

Kurt lightly smacked Elliot's arm, an expression of overdramatic offense on his face. "Shut up! I have no idea what you're talking about." Kurt looked at the floor and started off down the hall again, with Elliot at his side.

They arrived at Kurt's new room only to find that his roommate was nowhere to be found. They took the rest of Kurt's things and set them on his bed, still unmade, with his suitcase.

"Well, I should probably let you get settled in..." Elliot shuffled towards the door, moving slowly. He had his hand on the door frame when he finally gathered up all his courage and decided to just go for it.

"Kurt, can I ask you something?" Kurt looked up from his things and smiled. The sight still dazzled Elliot, and he was sure that it would continue to do so, even if he spent all his time around the junior.

"Of course, you know you can ask me anything Elliot." Elliot took a step towards Kurt, then another. Soon the two boys were standing within a few feet of each other, just looking into one another's eyes.

"Kurt...I...I'm..." Elliot stammered, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

"Elliot." Kurt's tone silenced Elliot's broken speech. "Just ask me."

Elliot inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He thought about the brilliant blue eyes that were staring at him, attempting to search his own eyes at this very moment. He snapped his eyes open and lifted his chin in confidence.

"Kurt, will you go out with me this Saturday?"

Kurt just smiled. "Yes, I will."

It took a few seconds for Elliot to realise that Kurt had accepted his offer, but when he finally did he could feel a stupid grin wash over his face.

"Awesome. Pick you up here at around five?" Elliot just couldn't stop smiling.

Kurt tilted his head and gazed at the older boy, still smiling, although not quite as big as Elliot. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

Jason had come back shortly after Elliot had left. Kurt was still a little bit nervous to be rooming with the older boy. He had heard so many stories about the senior; experiments gone bad, eccentricities that made Coach Sylvester look normal.

Kurt observed him slightly when he came in. He was tall, only a little bit taller than Kurt, with sandy brown hair and golden eyes. Honestly, his eyes were unlike any color Kurt could have ever imagined. It was funny how whenever Kurt though of striking eyes now, he immediately thought of bright green eyes set into dark skin. Kurt couldn't believe how attractive Elliot was sometimes, and now he had a date with him on Saturday.

Kurt suddenly realized that Saturday was tomorrow, and then all hope for peacefulness in his room was lost. Kurt began to tear clothes out of his suitcase, determined to find the perfect outfit for tomorrow night.

Jason just sat on his bed and watched the younger boy slowly go crazy. It was nice to be around someone who was just as crazy as he was, although he'd never admit it. He truly didn't have a problem with Kurt moving in, that is to say moving in temporarily. Elliot was told him that if he performed one dangerous experiment while Kurt was with him then he could count on being killed in his sleep.

Not that Elliot was _that _intimidating.

* * *

Blaine woke up the next morning happy, nearly forgetting the events of last night. His happiness was shattered however, when he looked over at the empty and bare bed next to him. He almost started crying all over again. His eyes were still itchy from the breakdown he had had after Kurt had left last night.

Blaine rolled out of bed, not really wanting to do anything, but needing to get some breakfast. It was going to be a long day; he might as well get it started.

After changing into his uniform he walked down the stairs to the kitchen. It was way too early for other people to be in here yet, no one would be awake for a few more hours. Blaine stared at the food in the cupboards, debating on whether or not he was actually hungry.

While he was looking he heard a murmuring coming from the student commons. It was Kurt's voice for sure; Blaine would know his voice anywhere. He perked up and listened carefully, but was unable to make out any words. He crept closer and stood with his back pressed flat against the wall, barely breathing so that he could hear the conversation going on. What he heard next almost sent him into a panic.

"So...are you going to tell me where we're going tonight?" Blaine could hear Kurt's voice change, the way it did when he was flirting. Blaine wondered who Kurt was talking to in such a manner; the flirting was usually saved for him.

"I want it to be a surprise, and don't worry about what to wear. You always look beautiful." Blaine's eyes instantly narrowed at the second voice. It was impossible not to know who the words belonged to. _Elliot_ This guy was getting on Blaine's last nerve. Telling Kurt he's beautiful, making sure he didn't worry; those were Blaine's jobs, and he wasn't too sure he liked anyone else taking his place.

Just as Blaine was about to get worked up he remembered the first words Kurt had spoken, _"Are you going to tell me where we're going tonight?"_ His eyes widened in realization, his worst fear had come true; Kurt was going out with Elliot.

Blaine knew that this should have been expected. He had pushed Kurt away, told him that he didn't care if he saw other people, and only now that he was did Blaine wish that he had never said anything. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind. Where was Elliot taking Kurt? What were his intentions towards Kurt? More importantly, was Blaine going to be able to follow?

Yes, Blaine knew that spying was wrong, but he couldn't let Kurt do this alone. What if he got hurt while he was on his date? What if he needed someone to take care of him? Blaine was determined to not screw it up this time and intended to be there for Kurt, whether he wanted his help or not.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by uneventfully. Blaine kept away from Kurt, giving him the space he had asked for. The clocks hands were quickly approaching five, which Blaine had heard from his eavesdropping was the time of the date.

He was dressed in black from head to toe, being completely serious about what he was about to do. He kept trying to convince himself that he was just going to make sure Elliot treated Kurt right, but his heart knew what was really going on.

Blaine shook his head and silenced his heart's ramblings. He _couldn't_ think about Kurt that way, not anymore, not after he had hurt him so badly. Kurt had said he needed time, and Blaine knew that he meant for the time to be used to get over him, despite what Kurt had said. Blaine, only wanting Kurt to be happy, was reluctant to comply but was going to let Kurt go. If Kurt didn't want him anymore then he was just have to get over it. He knew in his heart that he could never let Kurt go, but his head kept on trying to fool him.

He was tiptoeing down the hall, being as silent as possible. He had seen Elliot traipse by a few minutes ago and had quickly gotten ready and pursued him. He could hear the two ahead of him, murmurs and the occasional laugh. They headed downstairs and Blaine waited for them to be almost out the door before following.

Once he was down the stairs he started towards the door. He almost got there when a voice cried out from behind him.

"Hey there Blaine!" Blaine stopped midstride and tensed. Someone had caught him. What would everyone think of him now?

Blaine slowly pivoted, wondering who could be watching him. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Andrew standing there. The freshman didn't look as though he had a clue as to what was going on, so Blaine relaxed. His state of calm, however, did not last very long.

"Blaine, I need to ask you some questions." The younger boy rushed up to Blaine, grabbing his arm and pulling. Blaine stumbled forward, not expecting the strength that he had been pulled with. Blaine was about to tell Andrew that he couldn't talk right now but Andrew didn't notice and kept on talking.

"Like, how in the hell do you pass one of Mrs. Parcy's tests? Those things are impossible. Or why does Mr. Thomas have quizzes on material we haven't learned? Does he expect us to read ahead, or does he just _want_ us to fail? Wait, wait! _What _am I supposed to do with _this?_" If Blaine hadn't been trying to go somewhere he would have laughed at how flustered Andrew seemed to be.

Dalton made sure that freshman year was once of the hardest years. The board said that if they demanded high grades in students first years, then said students would be more likely to succeed in following years.

Andrew had just started to wave a sheet covered in trigonometry formulas when Blaine realized there was no way he was going to escape Andrew. He sighed and glanced woefully at the door, where on the other side Kurt was surely getting into Elliot's car. He'd just have to hope that Kurt would be fine on his own.

* * *

Elliot had come and gotten Kurt at exactly five. They had walked to the foyer together, talking and joking along the way. Elliot seemed ridiculously carefree and happy, which kept Kurt at ease too. He had spent most of his afternoon getting ready, putting on clothes only to change them again after a few minutes.

This was Kurt's first date and he wanted it to be perfect, which meant that he was stressed out beyond any belief, but when Elliot had showed up Kurt relaxed immediately. This was Elliot, gentle, polite, gorgeous Elliot. Kurt suddenly realized why he was worried at all.

Elliot had just stared at Kurt when he first saw him. The younger boy was wearing tight black jeans, paired with a light blue top that matched his eyes perfectly. He had a grey scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, which only helped to define Kurt's collar bones. Only after Kurt had pointedly coughed, did Elliot break his stare.

"You look amazing." Elliot was still stunned on how beautiful Kurt looked in his street clothes. He was just wearing a simple pair of dark wash boot cut jeans, paired with a white v-neck shirt. He had brought along his Dalton jacket, preparing for the cold weather awaiting them outside.

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself." Kurt giggled at Elliot's expression and grabbed his coat. "I'm joking Elliot, you look very nice."

When they reached the front door Elliot held it open, gesturing grandly for Kurt to go through first. Kurt felt butterflies flutter about in his stomach and walked through the open door. Elliot followed after and led Kurt to the student parking lot. They walked side by side, shoulders brushing gently. Kurt could feel the sharp contrast of Elliot's warmth with the cold winter's air. He shivered a little and was surprised to feel an arm drape around his shoulder. Kurt looked up at Elliot, stunned by the sudden movement.

Elliot just shrugged his shoulders, trying to pass off as nonchalant. "You seemed cold." Kurt could tell from the smirk spreading across the seniors face that it was just an excuse.

They walked together like that until they came up to a gorgeous black mustang, circa 1967. Kurt looked up at Elliot in shock, while Elliot just grinned.

"You didn't tell me you had such a nice car." Kurt ran his hand lightly over the hood, marvelling at the sleek paint. Elliot opened the passenger door, holding it for Kurt. Kurt slipped in easily, settling onto the white leather seats, glancing around the interior, then back up at his date.

"You never asked." Elliot was still smiling, thoroughly pleased with Kurt's reaction to his car. He closed the passenger's door gently and walked around to the driver's seat. He glided in easily, starting up the car in one swift movement. The car responded flawlessly, causing Kurt to sink deep into his seat.

Elliot heard a quiet moan from the other side of the car. What he saw made his jaw drop to the floor. Kurt was practically lying in his seat, head thrown back, eyes closed, jaw slack. The sight made Elliot almost pass out. Kurt was gorgeous on a day-to-day basis, but he was absolutely heavenly like this.

"Oh my god, Elliot." Elliot loved the way the Kurt said his name, he made it sound like a song. "This car...is amazing." Kurt's eyes snapped open, looking straight into Elliot's. Elliot gasped quietly at what he saw. Kurt's eyes were positively glowing, almost out-shining the sun that was setting behind him.

Elliot swallowed, turning his head to the road. If he wasn't careful he was going to get distracted, and they may not even make it to the date that Elliot had been tirelessly planning for the past day. "I'm glad you like it." Elliot grinned easily and drove from the school parking lot.

Kurt just revelled in the sound of the motor, the feeling of the tires on the pavement, and the smell of the clean leather beneath him. He hadn't been lying to Elliot earlier, the car was definitely one of the nicest Kurt had had the pleasure to ride in. He looked out the window, not really seeing the scenery pass by.

Elliot just smiled to himself, not really knowing why he hadn't asked Kurt out earlier. He pulled into the parking lot of his favourite restaurant, the smells of Italy washing over him.

Kurt looked out his window in surprise; he hadn't been expecting Elliot to take him to one of the most expensive places in Westerville. "I didn't know you liked Italian." Kurt looked over at Elliot and almost giggled at the older boy.

Elliot looked at the restaurant with a look of pure lust. He came back to reality at the sound of Kurt's voice and grinned sheepishly. "My parents took to Europe of couple of summers ago. When we stopped in Italy I kind of fell in love; with the food, the culture. I promised myself that I'd go back someday, and this is the closest I can get to Italy for the time being."

Kurt's smile widened, thinking that Elliot had big ambitions like him. "That's awesome; I can't wait to try the food." They both got out of the car, strolling into the restaurant side by side.

The restaurant itself was breathtaking. The lights were dimmed, casting shadows in every direction. The room was lined with booth tables, with individual tables set in the middle. It was hushed, as if everyone was scared they'd break the atmosphere if they spoke too loud.

Kurt and Elliot were taken to a booth set in one of the corners, giving them quite a bit of privacy. They smiled and made small talk, commenting on the goings-on in Dalton, and trading stories about their various friends. It was lovely, Kurt had decided. He had never had anyone treat him so special, and there had never been anyone who he could speak so easily with...except Blaine. But he wasn't going to think about Blaine when he was with Elliot.

Elliot paid for the meal, despite Kurt's protests. "I asked you out, I'm paying." Kurt just sighed, debating whether he should be annoyed or smitten. He chose smitten, and followed Elliot back out to his car.

Once they were back out in Elliot's car, Elliot took a deep breath and looked over at Kurt. He gathered up his courage and asked Kurt a question that would make or break the rest of the evening.

"Kurt, would you mind...if I took you somewhere really special?" Kurt looked at Elliot, slightly shocked, there was more to the date?

"Of course, Elliot. You can take me anywhere." Kurt ended with a smile. When he realized what he had said his smile faltered. Had he really just said that? How cheesy did _that_ sound? But Kurt realized his worrying was not needed once he saw the dazzling smile on Elliot's face.

With that Elliot drove off to the outskirts of Westerville, being silent the whole way. Just when Kurt was starting to wonder where they were going Elliot turned down a gravel road. They drove for about ten miles, stopping when they reached the end of the road.

Elliot got out of the car, stopping and grabbing something out of the back seat before walking over to open Kurt's door. He grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him towards a pathway through the trees.

"Is this okay?" Elliot squeezed Kurt's hand, trying to show him what he meant.

Kurt grinned to himself in the darkness. "More than okay."

They kept walking for a few minutes until they came to a small clearing, the moon shining down on this. Elliot let go of Kurt's hand reluctantly and unfolded the blanket he had grabbed from his car earlier. He spread it out on the ground and sat down cross-legged. Kurt just stared at him, wondering if he was crazy. Elliot laughed and patted the spot next to him, urging Kurt to join him. Kurt just sighed and sunk to the ground, placing himself next to Elliot. They sat in silence for a few moments before Kurt spoke.

"So, why is this place so special?" Elliot turned his head and looked at Kurt full on. He was even more beautiful in the moonlight. The milky rays washed out his skin, making it seem impossibly pale and pristine. He smiled warmly at the younger boy.

"When I was younger my dad and I were really close." He paused to make sure Kurt wanted him to keep talking. Kurt nodded at him and leaned in closer. "Anytime I was upset or angry, he would put me in the car and take me out here. He used to say that being out in nature makes everything seem less terrible, that all your problems seem a little less worrying. And it did, we would sit out here for hours, talking about nothing, until everything was good again."

"Your dad sounds like an amazing guy" Kurt said warmly, thinking about his own amazing father.

Elliot hesitated slightly before going on. "He was."

Kurt instantly realized his mistake and back pedaled. "Oh my god Elliot, I'm so sorry! I didn't know... I didn't mean..."

Elliot grabbed Kurt's hand once again, squeezing it gently. "It's fine Kurt. You couldn't have possibly known. It's funny, I never tell people about my dad, but with you it's different. I feel like I could tell you anything and you would just take it in stride."

Kurt was just about to tell Elliot that he too had lost a parent when Elliot rushed on. "But that's not the only reason I brought you here tonight. I actually brought you here for a totally different reason."

Kurt waited silently for the older boy to continue. "Do you remember the first time we met? What you said to me?" Kurt thought for a moment and shook his head.

"Not really anything other than introducing myself." Elliot smirked to himself, he had been hoping for this.

"Well after I introduced myself to you, I said something stupid; I can't even remember what it was now. Probably something along the lines of 'Hi my name's Elliot, and I like beaches.' I had been so embarrassed, until you smiled that charming smile of yours and said 'I like stars.' It was right then that I started to like you. I never even had a chance."

Kurt was startled, because now that he thought about it, that was exactly what had happened. He remembered Elliot looking so mortified that he had taken pity on the boy and responded accordingly. He smiled at the memory and his heart warmed to know that Elliot had liked him before even really getting to know him.

"So, you brought me out here because I like stars?" Kurt was a little confused at this; they could have seen stars anywhere.

"Oh these aren't just any stars, these are the most beautiful stars in the world, though nothing could compare to the stars in your eyes."

Kurt blushed at Elliot's obvious flirting, wondering how he was ended up on a date with such a sweet boy. Kurt was pondering his luck when he felt a pair of arms grab him around his middle, pulling him down to lie on his back. Kurt screamed at the sudden movement, while Elliot let him go and started to laugh hysterically.

"That's not funny Elliot! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Kurt couldn't even take himself seriously and started laughing with Elliot. After they had both calmed down Kurt looked into the sky and gasped, realizing what Elliot had said about the stars had been true.

The sky was open above them, the trees from the edges of the clearing making a perfect circle. They framed the night's sky and its stars, making the balls of gas seem brighter. Kurt just stared in awe, revelling in the beauty above him. Elliot tore his eyes away from the sky and gazed at Kurt. He had a look of pure joy and wonder on his face. Elliot resolved then and there that he would do anything and everything within his power to make Kurt look like that whenever he could.

He watched Kurt for a few more minutes before Kurt looked his way. "Whatcha looking at?" Kurt raised his eyebrows innocently, waiting politely for an answer.

"You, you're kinda gorgeous, you know." Kurt gasped at the bluntness of Elliot's statement, but his face relaxed into a grin.

"Well, you're kinda gorgeous too." Elliot decided that now was as good a time as any to make him move. He propped himself up on his elbow, turning his body to face Kurt.

"Kurt, may I kiss you?" Kurt was shocked; someone was asking to kiss him? The last time he had been kissed...he shook the thought from his mind, looking back up at Elliot. Here was this amazing, sweet, handsome boy sitting in front of him, after what had to have been the world's best date, asking to kiss him. Kurt sighed lightly, and made up his mind.

"Yes, you may." Elliot's face broke into a wide smile before he leaned in. Kurt's eyes closed on their own, his lips seeking for the warmth of another pair.

Their lips met lightly, just barely pressing against one another's. It was sweet and much better than Kurt's first kiss, which had been rough and furious. Kurt decided he wanted more and pressed harder against Elliot's lips. Elliot took this as permission and moved his lips against Kurt's. He let his tongue glide slowly over the younger boy's, asking entrance into his mouth. Kurt gasped and Elliot slipped his tongue inside.

Kurt was completely unsuspecting of what he would feel. He had always looked at young couples making out, and from where he had stood it just looked wet and sloppy. He couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, it was wet, but it wasn't a gross kind of wet, it just felt really good. He was about to contemplate more on why he had been missing out on this for so long when Elliot did something new. He had grazed the tip of his tongue across the roof of Kurt's mouth, causing Kurt to moan slightly.

It was then that a flip switched in Elliot's brain. Without breaking the kiss Elliot got up and crawled on top of Kurt, hovering over him, pushing himself up against his slightly. Kurt just moaned louder and the sudden contact between their bodies, winding his hands up into Elliot's hair. Elliot could feel himself getting worked up though, and broke the kiss before anything else could happen.

Kurt opened his eyes and saw Elliot's face right above his, panting just as heavily as he was. He thought about what had just happened and almost giggled to himself, but he managed to keep control.

"That was...um..." Kurt for once in his life was at a loss of words.

"Amazing." Elliot finished for him, and it had been. Elliot had never had a kiss like that before; a million little fireworks had been going off in his head the whole time.

"Yeah, amazing." Kurt agreed. Elliot fell back to lie beside Kurt once again. Kurt just sighed and cuddled into Elliot's side, searching for the warmth of the other boy's body. The two would stay like that for another hour, until finally deciding to get up and head back to Dalton, before they broke curfew.

That night, when Elliot was about to leave from dropping Kurt off at his room, the boys shared another kiss, this one even more passionate than the first. They stood there for what seemed like forever, until they finally needed to break apart for air. There were shy grins and promises of meeting up for coffee in the morning, before Kurt finally snuck into his room, careful not to wake his roommate.

Elliot practically skipped to his room, still on a high from their last kiss. If every kiss he had with Kurt felt like the ones they had shared tonight, his life was going to get drastically better.

Both boys fell asleep that night, their dreams filled with bright stars, warm bodies, and slow moving lips.

* * *

Blaine was in a mood. After he had been interrupted from his mission on Saturday night he hadn't been able to see, let alone talk to Kurt. Sunday had gone by slowly, with Blaine in Warblers meetings until well past noon. They were trying to get their set list ready for Sectionals, and it was taking a toll on the council. They had asked for Blaine's help since he was once of the main soloists.

Monday had gone by pretty much the same. Blaine had woken up late and had to rush to get ready and be to classes on time. He and Kurt only had once class together and it was after lunch, so now he would have to wait until then to talk to the countertenor. Ever since Kurt had moved out, Blaine had started to realize how lonely his life was without Kurt always there. He laughed less, smiled less, and just did everything less. So he was practically bouncing in his seat by the time lunch rolled around.

Blaine walked quickly to the cafeteria, looking around for Kurt. He always made it there before Blaine because his last class was right across the hall from the cafeteria. Blaine caught no sight of Kurt and set off towards the next most likely place, the choir room. Whenever Blaine couldn't find his best friend the choir room was the first place he looked.

Blaine walked briskly down the halls, making his way to the Warblers practice room. He turned the last corner and almost ran straight into the closed door. Blaine looked at it in confusion; the door was always open during school hours. Pushing aside the warning bells that were going off in his head he opened the doors slightly and peaked in. What he saw next knocked the breath right out of him.

All Blaine saw was hands and tongues, need and desperation heavy in the air. He found himself gasping for air, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. He just stood there are stared, nothing was making sense anymore, everything was wrong. He thought back to his nightmare from a few days ago. Maybe he hadn't even woken up this morning. Maybe he was still asleep and this was all some horrible nightmare that he was going to wake up from soon.

"Blaine! What are you doing?" Kurt's voice snapped Blaine out of his minds ramblings. Everything was real, and this was no nightmare.

Kurt was kissing, no making out was more like it, someone. Blaine could have never known until that moment had badly he wanted to be that someone. Blaine's eyes finally focused enough to see who was pressed up against the piano behind Kurt's body.

A pair of bright green eyes stared at him before narrowing into a sinister smile. The mouth that came with the eyes didn't even need to say anything. Blaine understood exactly what the smile and those eyes were telling him.

_You lose, Blaine, you lose._

* * *

_In the next installment: How will Blaine react to Kurt and Elliot dating? Will disaster ensue when Jason decides to try a new experiment? Will Kurt move back in with Blaine? _

_...You'll have to wait and see! ;)_


	5. Hearts Wear Thin

_[A/N]: So it is officially summertime over here! My school is all done, I've finished all my exams, and I am so ready for an amazing summer filled with writing, music and friends! I am so excited to be putting this chapter out because I personally love it. A big thanks to all those who have read TPM and/or have alerted it. You guys are awesome! So I shall not waste you time with a long author's note, i just wanted to say thank you for reading and sorry for the wait, it wasn't as bad as last time but I'll be releasing chapters more frequently in the future :) As always you can check me out on Tumblr, forevermusically. tumblr. com (remove the spaces), I always love hearing from you guys! My ask box is always open and love is always flowin'! And reviews are welcomed as well, I loves me some feedback! Love y'all and I hope you enjoy chapter 5!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or it's characters._

* * *

It had been a week since Kurt had spoken to Blaine, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Blaine was just avoiding him like the plaque, which was understandable, considering what he had seen. Elliot and Kurt had spent the majority of Sunday just in each other's company. They had gotten coffee and talked, headed back to the dorms and talked some more, and only when they were pushing curfew did they separate. Elliot had walked Kurt back to his room for the second night in a row, giving him a chaste kiss before going to his own room.

On Monday morning Kurt was teased mercilessly by Elliot. The older boy was just sitting there, eating strawberries, letting the excess juice sit on his lips for a while before slowly licking it off. It only got worse when Kurt had seen Elliot in the hallway between classes. The senior was laughing at something one of his class mates had said, and he threw his head back, stretching the muscles in his neck. Kurt was absolutely speechless. He had quickly found a piece of paper, wrote a short note, and walked up to Elliot. Elliot hadn't seen him approaching until Kurt was standing almost right in front of him. The younger boy had simply walked by, inconspicuously dropping his note on the floor.

Elliot had picked it up; unfolding it only after his friends had left. He gasped at what he had seen.

_Meet me in the choir room at lunch. No exceptions :)_

Elliot was insanely turned on by Kurt's sudden assertiveness, and there was no way in hell he was going to eat lunch that day. Both boys had practically run to the choir room, trying to get to each other as soon as possible. They somehow showed up at the same time, rushing into the room while closing the door behind them. They had barely even gotten out hellos before their lips crashed together. Kurt backed them up against the piano.

After a couple minutes Kurt heard the door creak open, but was sure the person would leave after he saw the two. However, Kurt did not hear the door shut. He whipped around, fully prepared to let whoever was interrupting them know that they weren't leaving anytime soon. That was, until he saw Blaine standing there, just staring. Kurt was absolutely mortified; he shouted the first thing that came to his mind.

"Blaine! What are you doing?" Blaine had just been staring until Kurt's voice had cut through the silence. Kurt saw Blaine look behind him before running out of the room. Kurt looked behind him in confusion, and he saw Elliot's eyes. They looked like the ocean during a storm, the dark greens and bright greens swirling together.

Kurt just reached up and touched his face. "Elliot? Are you okay?" Elliot's eyes turned back to normal as he looked down at Kurt. A smile spread across his face.

"Yeah, I'm perfect."

Ever since what Kurt had come to call _The Choir Room Incident, _Kurt and Blaine hadn't spoken. Blaine avoided Kurt in the hallways, in the cafeteria, in the common room. Kurt was close to exasperation by the end of the week. Kurt knew that Blaine must feel uncomfortable, seeing his best friend moving on and depending on him less, but this was just ridiculous. Blaine was acting like an upset five year old, and Kurt was going to make him talk.

* * *

It was the first Monday of December, which put Blaine in a giddy mood. It had always been this way for him; as soon as it was December all his thoughts rotated around pine trees and cookies, fat men in red suits, and the music. The music was by far the best part of any Christmas holiday, in Blaine's opinion.

It was also the first Monday of December when Blaine found himself being pulled into an empty classroom while on his way to his dorm, a hand simply reaching out for his sleeve and yanking him inside. After the initial shock at being man-handled, he saw that his attacker has none other than Kurt. Blaine made for the door but Kurt was faster, getting in his way and blocking his path out.

"Oh no, Mr. Anderson. You're not getting away that easy, not this time." Blaine could tell that Kurt meant business from the look in his eyes. It had been a while since Blaine had gotten to look in Kurt's eyes. He felt himself falling deeper and deeper into the blue oceans in front of him, but remembered what had happened a week prior and instantly regained focus.

Blaine had been having a hard time looking at Kurt the same way ever since the choir room fiasco. He was so used to snarky, innocent Kurt; so when he saw Kurt pressed up against some other guy it just did weird things to his head. He couldn't even look at his best friend without thinking about what his lips tasted like.

"What do you want Kurt?" Blaine could tell that the words came out harsher than he intended when he saw Kurt flinch. Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose, why was this so hard for him? He should just tell Kurt the truth, but he couldn't. Not now that he was with Elliot.

"I miss you." Blaine immediately stopped thinking murderous thoughts about the senior and looked up at Kurt.

"You...miss me?" Kurt smiled sadly at Blaine's question. He didn't even know how much Kurt cared about him.

"Of course I miss you, dummy. You're my best friend, my best friend that hasn't spoken to me in a week. I miss talking to you about classes, and Warblers, and gossiping about scandals." By this point Kurt's eyes were tearing up, the thought of how empty his week had seemed looming above his head.

"Kurt...Kurt don't cry, I'm right here." Without thinking Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders, enveloping the countertenor completely within his arms. He could feel Kurt's quiet sobs, and his heart broke. He had managed to screw up again. He wondered just how many times he was going to make Kurt cry this year.

"And it – sucks because I know – you're mad at me but I – can't be mad back at you! I just c-can't!" Kurt's words were broken apart by his stilted breathing. He was becoming more hysterical by the second, and almost stopped breathing altogether.

Blaine let go of Kurt and grabbed his face in his hands. "Kurt! Listen to me!" Kurt's head moved in his hands, his eyes seeking for Blaine's. "I am _not _mad at you, I was...just...embarrassed. That was something really private that I walked in on and you sounded so angry when I saw you guys, and I just don't know."

Kurt's tears had slowed by now, only a few escaping onto his cheeks. "I'm not mad at you either. I was just surprised, and I was embarrassed too. I was being childish and needy and I did something that I shouldn't have done." Kurt's face started to shake again between Blaine's hands, but this time he was laughing.

"I can't believe we just spent a whole week avoiding each other!" Blaine just stared at Kurt, wondering how he had gone from crying to laughing in a matter of seconds. Blaine saw soon enough that the laughs were still part of the hysteria, as Kurt's giggles turned to sobs again.

"I just – realized how lonely it is – without you." Blaine just sighed.

"Well you don't need to worry; I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Kurt smiled through his tears and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck.

"Thank you, for being such a good friend."

* * *

After Kurt had finished crying and had put himself back in order, he had headed back to Easton. He sighed in relief. Everything was good between him and Blaine now, they were back to normal and Kurt could feel the empty hole in his chest fill up once again.

He was just about to the school's exit when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen, expecting to see a text from Elliot, since he was late for getting to the senior's room. Instead of seeing Elliot's name Kurt saw something very confusing.

_Unknown Number_

Kurt blinked slowly, trying to figure who would be texting him from an unknown number. He shrugged and unlocked his phone, thinking that maybe one of his New Directions friends had gotten a new number. The text that showed up on his screen made his blood run cold.

_You better watch yourself fag. That's right, I see you all cuddly with your fairy boyfriend. If you don't want anyone to get hurt, I would suggest that you keep your evil to yourself._

Kurt was frozen. He was completely terrified. Dalton was supposed to be his safe place, where he could escape all the terrible people out there and be surrounded by those who would accept him. But now Dalton was compromised.

Kurt got the feeling that he was being watched. He looked around quickly, seeing no one. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and ran to Easton as fast as his legs would carry him. He stumbled his way up the path to his dorm, pushing boys from the other two houses out of his way. Nobody was too concerned by this, considering the fact that Kurt was an Easton, and the boys from Kurt's dorm were usually given a wide berth.

No one from the other two houses, Spencer and Hawkins, ever wanted to mix with the Easton crowd. Easton's were usually on the wilder side, with Spencer being athletic-centric and Hawkins being more academic-centric. The three houses clashed often and usually stuck to their own, except of course, for the Warblers. There were all from different houses but got along surprisingly well, which was why it was somewhat of a surprise to Kurt that no one really seemed to notice that he was not acting like himself.

Kurt had made it to Easton and threw open the door, closing it haphazardly behind him. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could, almost tripping on his way. He made it to his landing in one piece, and hoped that no one would see him and that Jason was still out.

He made it to his door and unlocked it quickly, throwing himself inside the room. He looked around and saw that Jason was in fact not in their room. Kurt let out a sigh of relief, closing the door and leaning up against it. The reality of what had just happened was sinking in. He had been threatened. _At Dalton._ The thought almost brought a fresh batch of tears to his eyes. His breath was coming in quick little pants and he felt as if he was going to pass out. He slid down the door, falling ungracefully into a pile.

He laid there for a while, sobbing without breathing. Then something suddenly clicked in his mind, and his sobs stopped. He was Kurt Hummel. He didn't let things like this get to him and he most certainly did not let people disturb his happiness. Kurt pushed himself off the ground, feeling minutely ashamed at his breakdown, but knowing now what he had to do. He wasn't going to let this get in his way.

* * *

Wes and David were working quietly, for once. Wes had just finished his young architect's project for the second time, while David was studying for a biology exam. Then Blaine burst through the door of the senior commons. Both boys jerked and looked up, resembling twins despite their difference in cultural backgrounds.

"You guys guess what?" Neither boy had time to even open their mouths before Blaine carried on. "Kurt and I are friends again!" Wes and David just looked at each other smiling.

"That's awesome Blaine, totally predictable, but awesome nonetheless." David just rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Don't mind Wes, he's been snarky all day, we're just glad that you and Kurt are speaking to one another again." Wes squeaked in protest.

"I have not been snarky! Just...sharp-tongued, that's all" Blaine and David both looked at Wes, giving him knowing looks.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I've been snarky but I'm allowed to be, considering..." Wes broke off, suddenly becoming entranced by the floor.

Blaine looked over to David, raising an eyebrow. David just shook his head slightly, and motioned for Blaine to go. Blaine took the hint and backed out of the room slowly, but not before mouthing a "fix him!" at David.

David walked over to his best friend and saw that Wes's eyes were starting to tear up.

"Wes," David wrapped his arm around Wes' shoulder, pulling the Asian boy into his chest, "Wes you've got to tell me what's wrong. You're not getting better, and I can't help you unless I know what the problem is. Please Wes! Just let me help!" David's voice was bordering on hysteria, he couldn't take seeing his best friend like this anymore, and it was tearing him apart from the inside out.

Wes stood up abruptly, knocking off David's arm in the process.

"No David! I _can't _tell you! And you just...keep _pushing_, despite what I say to you. Why can't you just let it go? How about you just leave me alone!" Wes stormed out of the commons, leaving a stunned David behind.

David just stared at the door, wondering what the _hell_ was going on with his best friend.

* * *

"Yeah...okay...alright, I'll see what I can do." Kurt hung up his phone with a heavy sigh. It was the day after he and Blaine had made up and Blaine was already texting and calling him in the same fashion as before, which meant pretty much all the time. Flopping down on his bed he wondered how there was so much drama in a school filled with boys. Jason looked up from the lab he was working on when he heard Kurt sigh.

"What was that all about?" Jason didn't particularly like to pry, or gossip for that matter, but it seemed like Kurt had been stressed lately, and Jason figured he could use someone to talk to.

"It's Wes, he's been losing his mind lately, and he finally just snapped on David. So David went to Blaine's room and just started going off, talking about how he's always such a good friend, which I can wholeheartedly agree with, and how Wes is, and I quote, 'a big meanie-pants who doesn't know how good he's got it.' I swear those two are absolutely insane! Blaine just called me almost in tears over how two of his best friends are fighting, and...We just don't _need_ this drama right now, not with Sectionals coming up."

Jason just raised an eyebrow and looked back down at his lab. It was a well-known fact in Easton that Wes and David were joined at the hip. The fact that they were fighting was just weird, and it unsettled Jason.

"So Blaine was asking you to help with the drama?" Kurt nodded and grabbed his History text book off his night stand, turning it to the correct chapter.

"Yeah, he said that I'm way better with drama than he is, and he would be right. I used to deal with drama ten times worse than this every day so I'm kind of used to it by now."

Jason just chuckled at Kurt's blunt statement. He knew from Blaine's constant praise that Kurt was special indeed. Even after Jason had talked to Kurt for the first time it had been obvious that Kurt was strong. Jason knew for a fact that Kurt Hummel could handle pretty much anything that life threw at him.

"Well it's good that we have such a prepared diva then right?" Kurt barely looked up from his text book, just muttering something that Jason guessed was a bitchy response.

Jason shook his head and mindlessly dropped something into the flask on the table. He looked down and looked back up, beginning to panic. The liquid in the flask began to bubble, the container becoming hot to the touch.

"Ummm...Kurt?" Kurt looked up from his text book, wondering why Jason sounded scared. His eyes widened at what he saw before him. Jason's experiment must have gone wrong, because Kurt was pretty sure that it wasn't supposed to be smoking.

"Kurt, I'd say you have about forty-five seconds tops to grab what you can and get out." Kurt barely had time to register what was happening before Jason jumped into action, running around their room, grabbing things in the process.

After a few seconds Kurt leaped into action. He glanced around the room and tried to decide what was most important. He grabbed his iPod and cell phone, shoving them into his pockets, and ran to his closet, ripping clothes off of hangers as quickly and efficiently as he could.

He made it out just in time, his hands full of clothes and shoes, kicking his backpack out through the door. As soon as he was over the threshold Jason slammed the door shut, grabbing Kurt's backpack and taking off down the hallway. Kurt followed closely behind, only stopping once he heard a huge explosion come from behind him. He turned around and saw that there was smoke pouring out of the room from under the door.

Kurt dropped his clothes on the ground, narrowing his eyes in the process. He turned his head to look at the senior beside him. If there had been one word to describe Jason in that moment it would have 'terrified' without a doubt. Jason held out what was in his hands, presenting it with a sheepish smile to Kurt.

"I grabbed your laptop."

* * *

Blaine was walking down the halls of Easton, checking up on all the boarders and making sure that everyone was still in one piece. After he had heard the explosion, he ran out of his room, immediately banging on doors to ensure that everyone was still alive.

He was rounding a corner when he heard two familiar voices ahead of him. He stopped walking and started listening in, not even thinking about what would happen if anyone caught him eavesdropping.

"Are you sure that there are no other rooms?" A high voice rang out, Blaine was almost sucked in by the sound but managed to pay attention to the words that were being spoken.

"Kurt you know that if I could find any other room for you I would. Everyone else if full. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to stay with him." Blaine instantly tensed at the sound of the other voice; it was becoming an involuntary response at this point.

"It's not that I don't want to stay with him Elliot, it's just...we just made up, and I was hoping for a little more time away, that's all. I mean, I've only been gone for a week and I'm already moving back in. When I said I needed space this wasn't what I had in mind."

Blaine's eyes widened with the sudden realization that the two were talking about him. He almost started crying right there. Even though he and Kurt had made up Kurt still didn't want to come back to being his roommate. Blaine finally understood just how much he must have hurt Kurt, for him to act like this. Blaine had completely broken the trust of his most valued friend, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let it stay like that. He was going to earn Kurt's trust back, no matter what.

Blaine poked his head around the corner to see if it was safe to proceed. Instead of the empty hallway he was expecting he was presented with Kurt and Elliot in an all-too-close embrace. Kurt's head was resting on Elliot's shoulder, with Elliot's arms wrapped tightly around Kurt's middle.

Blaine turned on his heel and started out back down the hallway. He was not pleased with how close those two were getting and he was going to _fix this_ before it got any worse.

* * *

Kurt sighed as he looked around the room. He had just finished moving back into his old room and to be honest he not very pleased. He was supposed to be getting time away from Blaine, not moving back in with him after only one week of separation.

Everything he had moved out seven days ago was once again back exactly where it had been before. What was left of his clothes was hanging in the closet. Kurt winced at the thought that, despite the amount of clothing he had managed to save, everything that was left in the room was ruined. Jason had said that he would take Kurt shopping to replace what had been destroyed. Usually Kurt wouldn't take the offer, but he knew he didn't have the money to replace them himself and besides, Jason just wouldn't let it go.

The senior had been apologizing profusely ever since the incident, buying Kurt coffees, bringing him little gifts and just generally not letting it die. Kurt would have been upset by all the attention, but he was so drained that he couldn't even think about getting upset. All he could think about was how off-track his life had gotten.

The one thing that kept running through his mind was that damn text. He wanted so desperately to know who it was from, but on the other hand he wanted just as desperately to forget that it had even happened.

Blaine walked into the room, silently closing the door behind him. Despite the words he had heard Kurt speak to Elliot a couple of days ago, he was still thrilled that Kurt was back. Blaine figured that if he could get close to Kurt again then he could fix what had become one of the most important things in his life. At this point Kurt's friendship was his whole world.

What Blaine saw in front of him caused a swell of concern. Kurt was lying on his bed, just staring at the ceiling with a vacant look on his face. The fact that he wasn't paying attention to how his hair might be getting messed up was Blaine's first indicator that something was wrong.

Blaine walked over and perched on the edge of Kurt's bed. Kurt broke his gaze with the ceiling to look at Blaine for a few seconds, before returning to looked at the roof.

"Kurt, what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?" If Blaine hadn't been watching closely he would have missed the miniscule shake of Kurt's head.

"Nothing's wrong, just thinking." Blaine could tell that there was more to it than that. Kurt just didn't seem like...Kurt.

"Well, what are you thinking about?" Blaine tried to ask in a manner that would come across as inviting. Kurt obviously needed someone to talk to and Blaine wanted to be the one that he opened up to.

"Nothing...Everything...kinda silly, really." Blaine was perplexed by Kurt's answer. It really did seem as though the countertenor didn't know what he was thinking about.

Blaine sighed and tried again. "Kurt..." He was immediately cut off by an impatient huff from Kurt.

"Blaine...I. Am. Fine. Can you _please_ just drop it?" Blaine recoiled after hearing Kurt's voice. It was commanding, yet desperately pleading at the same time, and it almost broke Blaine's heart. Instead of pushing harder like Blaine wanted to, he decided to give Kurt the space that he had asked for. He got up off the bed and walked over to the door.

He opened it and was almost out the door but turned back. "You know you can talk to me whenever you feel like it."

He saw Kurt nod once and left the room, closing the door behind him while hoping that his best friend would get back to his old self soon.

* * *

Kurt didn't feel good about the way he had talked to Blaine, but it had to be done. Kurt knew that if he had let Blaine keep pushing that he would have come out with the real reason why he was so stressed, and he couldn't let that happen.

Even thought the text hadn't said he couldn't tell anyone, he had figured that it was implied. Besides, Kurt had dealt with problems like this before. He didn't need to run crying to someone else to fix his problems for him. He had survived worse than this.

Midway through Kurt's inner pep-talk his cell rang beside him. Ever since the first text had come in Kurt had been more reluctant to answer his phone. He grabbed it quickly and looked at the screen. He saw two words on his screen that he had hoped he wouldn't see again.

_Unknown Number_

Kurt started to shake, this was the second text in a week and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to open it, but he knew he had to. Kurt Hummel was no coward, and he would face this like an adult and stop acting like a child.

He unlocked his cell phone and glanced at the message. He gasped and dropped the phone, as if it had burned him, once he read the message. After a few seconds he snatched it back up off of his bed and read the message over, making sure to be careful not to miss anything.

_You just don't listen do you Hummel? I saw you yesterday with that lady boyfriend of yours. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. I'm warning you... break up with him, or someone is going to get hurt..._

Kurt stared at his phone, his jaw going slack. This new message was about ten times worse than the first. Tears started to form at the corners of Kurt's eyes and he tried to wipe them away as quickly as they fell. Kurt almost got up, almost went to go find Blaine, or Elliot, or anyone who could help, but he stopped himself. What if someone got hurt from this? He couldn't have someone else take the fall for this. It was Kurt's problem and he was _not_ going to give in.

Kurt fell asleep that night in his uniform, too exhausted to even get up and change. Blaine walked in right before curfew, hoping that Kurt was still awake and wanting to talk now. Blaine found Kurt curled up tightly on his bed, tear tracks obvious on his high cheek bones. Blaine sighed, wishing that Kurt would just tell him what was wrong. Blaine knew that Kurt was strong, but he also knew that Kurt bottled things up to the point of explosion.

Kurt was getting to the point where he was going to lose his mind, without any warning to or care for whoever the victim was. Blaine just hoped that Kurt would talk to him before they got to that point.

* * *

Blaine was walking him Kurt to breakfast the next day when he first noticed. There was something off about his friend. He was jumping at any sound above normal conversation, he was looking over his shoulder constantly, and he was refusing to participate in the conversation that Blaine was trying so hard to start.

The rest of breakfast carried out the same way, with Kurt being silent and keeping to himself. He pushed his fruit around his plate, never actually putting any in his mouth. Instead he sipped his coffee and kept his head down. On more than one occasion Blaine almost called him on it, wanting to shout at his friend until he listened.

Blaine decided that he was going to not push; he would let Kurt come to him. The day wore on with no changes in Kurt's introverted behaviour. Blaine had been watching from a distance, and saw that Kurt was completely ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him.

What had totally shocked Blaine was when Elliot had decided to surprise Kurt. The senior had snuck up from behind Kurt, grabbing him around his middle once he was close enough. Kurt had screamed and started thrashing in Elliot's arms, almost connecting a few times. Elliot had put Kurt down immediately, instantly asking the countertenor what was wrong. Kurt had responded loudly, almost screaming again.

"My PROBLEM is that YOU need to give me some SPACE!" After his outburst Kurt had wheeled around and headed for the cafeteria. Blaine had walked after him, wanting to ask him what was wrong, but saw that Kurt was nowhere to be found. Blaine checked the coffee stand in the main hall and the choir room. Kurt wasn't in any of his usually hiding places.

When the bell rang signalling the end of lunch Blaine was forced to go back to class, despite the fact that he still hadn't seen Kurt. Blaine hoped that he was alright.

Blaine finally found Kurt after school. He had walked into the Warblers choir room for their weekly meeting and had seen Kurt sitting on the coach, his legs crossed primly, staring off into space.

He tried to walk over to Kurt but was stopped by some of the other boys.

"Hey Blaine, do you know when that Trig homework is due." Blaine looked over at the voice of saw Spencer Harris, his brown eyes shining with laughter and his blond hair the disgraceful mess that it usually was. He was ironically placed in Spencer house and showed every bit of it. The junior was on three different sports teams, plus the Warblers.

"Not a clue Spence. I never know with Mr. McAllister, I think he just likes to see us squirm." Spencer just chuckled at this and nodded in agreement.

"You're right; well I'll just wait until he gives us a deadline then." He walked away to join the other Spencer's standing by the piano.

Blaine once again set off the go sit by Kurt, but only got a few feet further when another voice addressed him.

"Blainey! I hear you landed a solo at the Christmas fair this year!" The boy that the voice had come from was Jackson Daniels. His cropped brown hair was shaved closely to his head, accentuating his blue eyes. He was a sophomore from Hawkins, apparently one of the smartest kids in his class.

"Thanks Jackson." Blaine started to walk again before the younger boy could start talking again. He kept walking, ignoring the others who attempted to talk to him. When he made it to the couch he flopped down beside Kurt, causing him to look up, a look of alarm on his face. Once realizing that it was Blaine his features relaxed back into their zombie-like state.

"So...where did you disappear to today?" Kurt looked like he was about to answer but was cut off by Wes' gavel. Blaine narrowed his eyes at the piece of wood, wishing he could just throw it out.

"Alright gentlemen let's get started." Wes spoke loudly and evenly, but Blaine saw that there was something different about the way he was carrying himself, almost like he was trying to ignore David's presence completely.

"You all know that we have Sectionals coming up soon, and we have decided our soloists for this competition. Congratulations to Blaine Anderson!" The room was filled with whoops and applause. Blaine's face heated slightly and he waved his thanks to his team mates. What Blaine heard next was the beginning of the end, so to speak. It was the start of a succession of events that Blaine had not seen coming.

"Of course Blaine got the solo, big surprise there." Blaine looked over in surprise at Kurt. The words he had spoken were so bitter and full of contempt that it took Blaine's breath away. Kurt was just scowling at the front of the room.

"Warbler Kurt, you are aware that Blaine is one of our best singers? If there was anyone that could lead us to victory it would be him." Kurt just shook his head and laughed.

"I am aware that Blaine has a very nice voice, _Wesley_." Kurt sneered at Wes and Blaine was once again taken aback. "But having a nice voice isn't everything, there's more to a performance than just singing."

Wes stood up, almost knocking his chair over. "Kurt, we're a show choir! We sing, that's what we do!" Wes was yelling at this point and Blaine could see that this wasn't totally about what was happening. Two of his best friends were at their boiling points, and they were about to lose it.

"Oh Wesley, come on! Do you give Blaine solos because he's good or because it's easier that way? You think that because nobody talks about it, nobody cares? You are so NAIVE!" The Warblers looked like they were watching a tennis match, heads turning from one opponent to the next.

"_I'M _NIAVE! RIGHT, SAYS THE _COWARD!_" The room went dead silent. Everyone could tell that Wes had passed a pretty obvious line. Kurt stood up abruptly and left out of one door, while Wes rushed put the other. The boys all looked at each other for a few moments, before everyone started talking at once. Blaine approached David as quickly as possible.

"You go find Wes and I'll go find Kurt." Blaine spewed out the words quickly, his need to go find Kurt growing by the second.

"Read my mind." David started out after Wes, while Blaine ran after Kurt.

It didn't take very long for Blaine to find him. Kurt was standing just down the hallway, leaning up against the wall, his small shoulders shaking with sobs. Blaine ran up to him and pulled Kurt into his chest, slowly rocking them back and forth.

"I didn't mean what I said about you." Kurt mumbled into Blaine.

"Shh...I know, I know. You were upset. It's fine, Kurt." Kurt's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Kurt pulled away slightly to grab it and peered at the screen. Blaine watching as Kurt's face lost all its color, his mouth opening then closing. Kurt's phone slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

Blaine couldn't figure out what was wrong. He grabbed Kurt by his shoulders and shook him gently.

"Kurt...Kurt what's wrong." All Blaine heard from Kurt was a strangled cry. Blaine let go of Kurt and bent down to grab the cell phone on the floor. When he straightened up he looked at the screen. What he saw on the screen sucked all the air out of his lungs.

_Unknown Number:  
I warned you Hummel. I told you to stay away from the faggy boyfriend of yours. But you just couldn't listen, could you? I'm going to kill you Hummel, you're going to die._

Blaine looked back up at Kurt and saw that while he was reading the text message Kurt had slumped up against the nearest wall. Kurt's eyes net Blaine's and just like that Kurt's knees gave out, causing his to fall to the floor.

Blaine dropped to his knees right beside him. "Is this what's been wrong with you? Is this what you refused to tell me?"

Kurt just nodded, tears still falling steadily down his face. "Why Kurt? Why didn't you tell me? You know you can tell me anything."

"I d-didn't want yo-ou to think I-I was weak. I wa-anted to handle this m-myself. I didn't w-want anyo-one to get h-hurt!" Blaine looked at Kurt in astonishment. Kurt was being terrorized by some random person and he was worrying about other people?

"How long has this being going on for?" Blaine's voice had gone deathly quiet.

"A-about a week." Blaine's eyes filled with tears. Kurt had been dealing with this for a week? How had he not noticed something was so insanely wrong? There had been so many signs!

"I'm sorry Kurt! I'm sorry that this person scared you and I'm sorry that you felt like you couldn't tell me. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me the most."

Kurt started to shake his head; he wasn't going to let Blaine take to blame for this. "It's not your fault Blaine, please don't cry! P-please don't cry..." Kurt's sentence trailed off when his own tears began to pick up once again.

Blaine's head shot up, his tears stopping immediately. Kurt drug his own eyes up to see Blaine and he gasped at the intensity in Blaine's eyes.

"I'm going to find him Kurt. I'm going to find the bastard that did this, and when I find him...I'm going to make him wish that he was never born." Blaine's voice had turned gravelly from crying and the pure hatred running through his body. Kurt barely registered Blaine's words before he was being hauled up off the ground.

Once he was standing a Blackberry was being shoved into his hands. He took it and looked at it for a moment.

"We're switching phones until I can figure out who did this." Kurt just looked at Blaine in astonishment. He had never seen Blaine this forceful before and it was scaring him. "I swear to you Kurt, I'm going to fix this..._I'm going to fix this..._"

* * *

David was running down the halls at breakneck speed. He checked every room he passed but still couldn't find Wes. David was just about to go find Blaine to ask for help when he saw the Asian boy sitting on the floor. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his shoulders were shaking with obvious sobs.

David ran up to his friend and fell to his side. Wes just collapsed into him, crying into his shoulder and sucking in desperate breaths. David didn't know what to do, Wes never cried. David had been friends with Wes since they were kids and not once had David ever seen Wes shed a tear. David settled for rubbing circles into Wes' back. It was a few minutes before Wes spoke.

"David, everything i-is so-o wrong! It's so me-essed up..." David just barely understood the words that Wes was whispering, but he had caught most of what was said.

"Wes, shh...it's going to be okay, alright? I'm here...it's going to be fine." David couldn't think of anything else to say, he wasn't going push Wes to talk to him, not when Wes was in so much obvious pain.

"But it's not o-okay David; nothing is okay anym-more..." David frowned at Wes' words, this wasn't making any sense.

"Wes, you lost your cool for a second. I am positive that Kurt is going to forgive you. This is not something that you have to get so worked up about."

"This isn't a-about Kurt..." David's eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Then what..." David was cut off by Wes.

"I sh-should have told y-you as soon as I-I found out, bu-ut I was just so-o scared! I didn't want a-anyone to thi-ink that I was a ba-aby..." David encircled Wes in his arms, trying desperately to hold his friend together when it was obvious that he was falling apart.

"Wes, you know that I will _never_ think that about you. You can tell me anything, you know that." Wes took a deep, shuddering breath, holding it for a moment before blowing it out through his teeth. His tears had subsided and his breath was coming more evenly now.

"It's Miranda." David just shook his head.

"Your sister, Miranda?" Wes nodded against David's shoulder.

"Yeah, my sister..." David was still hopelessly confused, Wes wasn't even making sense. What had Miranda done that was tearing Wes up so bad? Maybe she had taken up drugs. Or maybe she had walked out on their family. No, neither of those made sense. The Hughes were an extremely tight-knit family. They were all very respectable and level-headed, so drugs were out of the question. And there was no way that anyone of them would be able to walk away, the rest would just follow. David pulled back from Wes, trying to catch his eye. Wes kept looking at the floor but started to talk once again.

"She has cancer, David. My baby sister has cancer." David's mouth dropped open, his eyes filling with tears. This wasn't happening, Wes hadn't just said that. But David knew that was wrong. Wes was in his arms, crying so hard he was shaking, because his sister had cancer.

* * *

After Kurt had finally told Blaine what was wrong the two had gone to their dorm. Kurt felt suddenly grateful that he was sharing a room with Blaine once again, this way he wouldn't have to keep pretending to be okay around Jason.

Blaine had helped Kurt get into his pyjamas and had tucked Kurt into his bed. Kurt, being emotionally and physically exhausted, had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes. Blaine was having a harder time getting to sleep. Kurt had been holding this in for a week and it had almost destroyed him. Blaine felt like the worst friend in the world. He had known there was something going on but he had figured that Kurt would tell him when he wanted to.

Blaine knew now that Kurt never told anyone what was upsetting him. He would hold it in until he exploded. Blaine was contemplating how much of an idiot he was when he heard whimpering coming from Kurt's side of the room. He looked at Kurt and saw that the countertenor was twisting and writhing beneath his sheets. The whimpers were becoming louder, turning into words.

"No...Don't! Don't hurt him! Please, stop! PLEASE!" Kurt's words were slowly growing louder. Blaine jumped off his bed and ran to the other side of the room, leaning over Kurt. Blaine knew that you weren't supposed to wake up someone when they were dreaming...or was it sleepwalking? It didn't matter because Kurt was losing it now, screaming the word please over and over again. Blaine grabbed his shoulders and started to shake him.

"Kurt wake up! Come on Kurt, you have to wake up! KURT!" Blaine shouted and seemed to do the trick because the next thing he knew Kurt had stopped screaming and was clinging onto him, as if he would die if he let go.

"Shh...You're fine. It's okay, I'm here." Kurt didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms tighter around Blaine's torso, burying his face into Blaine's chest. Blaine whispered comforting words into Kurt's hair, hoping that it would calm him down.

Kurt's shaking stopped after a while, but his grip on Blaine was just as tight.

"How do you feel?" Blaine whispered, trying not to startle Kurt.

"Better..." Kurt looked up at Blaine with his big blue eyes, almost breaking Blaine's heart right there. "Will you please...stay with me?" Blaine blinked in surprise; he hadn't been expecting Kurt to ask that.

"Of course I will, here, scoot over." Kurt slid over, letting Blaine rest fully on the bed. The two lay down side-by-side, facing each other. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and twined their fingers together. They lay there for a few minutes before Kurt spoke again.

"Can you sing to me?" Kurt asked in a small voice, as if he was afraid of Blaine's answer.

"Sure Kurt. Anything particular?" Kurt shook his head.

"I just want to hear your voice." That was enough for Blaine, his thoughts raced for a few seconds, trying to find the perfect song. He thought of an amazing song and began to sing softly into the space between them.

_When your tears are spent, _

_On your last pretence._

_And your tired eyes refuse to close,_

_And sleep in your defence._

_When it's in your spine,_

_Like you've walked for miles._

_And the only thing you want,_

_Is just to be still for a while._

Kurt listened to Blaine with his eyes closed, taking in every word. He sighed, wondering how Blaine always knew the perfect song for every situation. The fact that Blaine knew this was what Kurt needed to hear just showed how well they knew each other.

_And if your heart wears thin,_

_I will hold you up._

_And I will hide you,_

_When it gets too much._

_I'll be right beside you,_

_I'll be right beside you._

Blaine felt Kurt sigh beside him, and Blaine tightened his hold on Kurt's fingers. He only hoped that Kurt was understanding what he was trying to tell him. Blaine had never been good at romance; music had always been his primary way of expressing himself.

_When you're overwhelmed,_

_And you've lost your breath._

_And the space between the things you know,_

_Is blurring nonetheless._

_When you try to speak,_

_But you make no sound._

_And the words you want are out of reach,_

_But they've never been so loud!_

_And if you're heart wears thin,_

_I will hold you up._

_And I will hide you,_

_When it gets too much._

_I'll be right beside you._

_I'll be right beside you._

Kurt was slipping down into sleep once more. Blaine's softly sung words lulling him into even breathing, his chest rising and falling, rising and falling. They were perfect like this, able to be around each other and able to help one another no matter what.

_I will stay,_

_Nobody will break you._

_Trust in me,_

_Trust in me._

_Don't pull away,_

_Just trust in me._

_Trust in me,_

_Cause I'm just trying to keep it together._

_Cause I could do worse and you could do better._

_When your tears are spent,_

_On your last pretence._

_And your tired eyes refuse to close,_

_And sleep in your defence._

_And if your heart wears thin,_

_I will hold you up._

_And I will hide you,_

_When it gets too much._

_I'll be right beside you,_

_Nobody will break you._

_And if you heart wears thin,_

_I will hold you up. _

_And I will hide you,_

_When it gets too much._

_I'll be right beside you,_

_Nobody will break you._

Blaine finished quietly, feeling as if he had exposed a huge part of himself. He took a deep breath, deciding to just go ahead and tell Kurt the truth.

"Kurt, we're best friends, and I feel like I can tell you anything. I want to tell you something that I've been holding in for awhile now." Blaine waited patiently for an answer, but one never came. Blaine looked down at the boy lying next to him, only to see that Kurt was sleeping.

Blaine almost cried at the unfairness of it all. He had Kurt all to himself right now, he had finally gotten the courage to say what he wanted and Kurt was asleep? How was this even fair? Blaine just closed his eyes and snuggled in closer to Kurt, pressing his nose into his friend's hair. Blaine breathed in Kurt's smell, trying to memorize the vanilla and coffee smell. Blaine whispered his next words, figuring that he had nothing to lose and he might as well say them while he had the courage to do so.

"I'm hopelessly in love with you, Kurt Hummel."

* * *

_In the next installment: How will Elliot react when told about the texts? Will Elliot and Blaine agree to get along? Will Christmas Holidays go as planned? Find out next week in... The Pefect Mistake._

_...I'm sorry you guys had to witness that... *hiding in shame* it's just really late, and I may have overloaded on caffine, and yeah...I'm just going to go... _

_LotsOfLove  
DiaryOfTheClinicallyInsane *lessthanthree*_


	6. Drunken Realizations and Resolve

_[A/N]: So this chapter took forever to write but it is the longest yet so it evens out! I'm not going to lie, I had a lot of writer's block at the beginning of this chapter and the only reason that changed was because I got a very helpful review from a reader! They gave me the kick in the butt that I needed to start writing again, so thank you muchly **NerdyAndrine**! I am forever in your debt! Also lately i have been reading this amazing fic Haute Couture by LPBekka and let me tell you, this girl has got some major talent! Like, you should all go read it...after you read this, of course ;) I would also like to inform all of you, the ones who have been with me from the start, or the ones who just read this by chance... I LOVE YOU ALL! You guys are the reason I write and I love hearing your feedback so shoot me a review if you liked it...or hated it...either way you're helping out tons! So without any more babble here is Chapter 6!_

_Disclaimer: ...No, I don't own it...don't make me cry! :'(_

* * *

Students were parting like the Red Sea. A flurry of dark, curly hair and wild, hazel eyes was running through the halls at top speeds. A panicked set of blue-green eyes followed closely behind. Kurt was starting to regret ever telling Blaine anything of his and Elliot's relationship.

It had happened so fast, Kurt was kind of astonished of how they had suddenly ended up running through the halls. They had been getting ready for class, chatting while walking around, gathering their things. Then Blaine had asked in passing if Kurt had told Elliot about the texts. It was all downhill from there.

"Well...not exactly." Blaine had looked at Kurt, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" Kurt had just looked at the floor.

"Well, he's still mad from when I snapped at him yesterday. He's been ignoring my texts and calls, and when I went to his room last night he didn't answer the door." Kurt finally looked up at Blaine and saw that he was shaking.

"Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt tried to take a step forwards, but Blaine held up his hand, silently telling Kurt to stay back. Blaine started to talk, his words starting out as barely a whisper.

"You mean, when you tried to tell your _boyfriend_ about you're fucking _STALKER_ he wouldn't LISTEN?" By the end of his sentence Blaine was screaming. Kurt had taken several steps back, pushing himself up against the wall. Blaine didn't seem to notice Kurt's fear; he just stared at Kurt, waiting for an answer.

"I-I guess..." That was all it took, Blaine ran out of their room, ripping the door open and sprinting down the hallway. Kurt took off after him, screaming his name, desperately trying to get his attention.

And that was where they were now, both of them running down the hallways, getting looks from students that were easily decipherable; they all thought the two juniors were insane.

Kurt, however, didn't even know how bad things were about to get. Blaine had finally got a glimpse of Elliot and all hell broke loose.

"Elliot! ELLIOT!" Elliot looked up with concerned eyes, wondering who could possibly be yelling at him like a crazy person. This was Dalton for God's sake, not an insane asylum. When Elliot's eyes found the source of the shouting he immediately tensed. His eyes narrowed at the short, curly-haired boy running at him. Elliot was not in the mood for a fight this morning; he was fighting with Kurt, had gotten a bad mark on an important test and had just been told his Christmas plans.

The hallways cleared remarkably fast after everyone saw the fire in Blaine's eyes. No one wanted to get in the way of Blaine's rage. It wasn't seen very often but when it was seen...well, it never ended well.

Blaine stomped up to Elliot with Kurt hot on his heels. Elliot took a deep breath and braced himself as Blaine came to a stop directly in front of him, leaving on a few inches between their faces.

"Can I help you, Blaine?" Elliot asked, trying his hardest to stay calm...but it was hard with someone like Blaine pretty much breathing right in his face.

"Yeah there's something wrong you f..." Kurt's voice rang out clear as a bell in answer to Blaine's undapper behaviour.

"Blaine! Do _not_ finish that sentence...you need to get control of yourself!" Kurt tried to step in between Blaine and Elliot, but Blaine pushed him away. Elliot's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in anger.

"Hey! You _don't_ touch my boyfriend like that unless you want to die!" Blaine scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You shouldn't even be allowed to call him that for how you've treated him! Just when he could actually need you, you turn him away!" Elliot was now officially confused. When had Kurt needed him? Elliot knew that he wasn't very happy with Kurt right now, but he had figured that he'd give them both some space to cool down a bit.

Blaine could see the confusion written all over Elliot's face and smiled triumphantly, glad that he knew something that the senior didn't. Blaine lowered his voice and glared straight into Elliot's eyes.

"So then you don't know that your _boyfriend,_" Blaine drug the word out as if it made him want to vomit, "has been receiving messages threatening his life." Blaine heard Elliot gasp and felt Kurt move to his side once again. Blaine just held up an arm, stopping Kurt from coming too close to the two other boys.

"And I'm guessing that you didn't know that when he came to see you last night he was going to explain everything to you, but you were too stubborn and childish to open. The. Goddamn. DOOR!" Blaine's sentence ended with a shout and a two-handed push to Elliot's chest. Elliot stumbled a few steps back, shock still written all over his face, but this time there was an unmistakable look of grief as well.

All three boys just stood there for a few moments, looking at one another in turn. Finally Elliot's eyes met Kurt's. Kurt could see the overwhelming sadness in them and looked at the floor, unable to let himself feel sorry for Elliot.

"Kurt..." Elliot had no clue what else to say. He had acted horribly when Kurt had needed him the most. He should have known that Kurt would never act so bitchy without a good reason, and if there was ever a good reason, this would definitely be one.

"Please don't Elliot. I don't want to hear you're sorry, not right now. I need some time to think." Elliot snapped his head up in shock.

"You're not breaking up with me?" Kurt almost cried at the sound of relief and bewilderment in Elliot's voice.

"No...But I do need some space. And I don't think that we should do this right here. We're going to be late for class if we all don't get moving." And with that Kurt grabbed Blaine's sleeve, gently tugging him away from a stunned and relieved Elliot.

The relief, however, only lasted for a few moments as Elliot observed Blaine turn back and give him a self satisfied smirk, while winding his arm around Kurt's waist. Blaine looked forward again and began to walk towards his class, effectively showing Elliot how well he could be forgotten.

Elliot didn't even think about his next actions. He ran down the hallway towards Kurt and Blaine. When he got close enough he grabbed Blaine's shoulder and pulled, whipping the junior around to face him. The next thing Elliot heard was a resounding crack and Kurt screaming from somewhere behind Blaine, all the while thinking _Huh, so that's what hitting feels like..._

* * *

Kurt was screaming. He was screaming and he couldn't stop because his best friend and his boyfriend were having a fist fight right the fuck in front of him! Kurt saw Blaine's head twist quickly to the side once again, the result of another punch to the jaw.

Apparently his screaming had caught some attention, because now there were teachers pulling the two boys apart and students poking their heads out of their rooms. Kurt saw Elliot and Blaine get drug away towards the dean's office, and he finally stopped screaming. Kurt just stood there, wondering what had just happened and how it had all transpired so quickly.

His thoughts were interrupted by a kind-looking teacher approaching him.

"Son, I'm going to need you to come with me." Kurt just nodded and started to walk.

"Of course Mr..." Kurt drew a blank; he had never seen this teacher before.

"I'm Mr. West, and you are?"

"Kurt Hummel, sir."

"Well Mr. Hummel, it seems as if you've caught yourself in the middle of a tussle." Kurt scoffed gently to himself, wishing he could tell this new teacher just how _in the middle_ he actually was.

* * *

The dean's room was smaller than Blaine remembered, but then again, he hadn't been in it for ages. He had been quite smaller back then, and much more scared. But now he wasn't scared, he was furious. He was furious that Elliot had hit him, he was furious that he hadn't gotten a punch in himself, and he was especially furious that Kurt had effectively ended the fight with all his screaming. Blaine didn't have time to think about what had just transpired though, as the dean walked in and sat down.

Now, if Blaine hadn't been gay he may have been drooling at the sighting of Dalton's head of the school. She had a tiny, but still curvy, frame; and always wore tight blouses to define them. The blouses were almost always accompanied by pencil skirts, effectively showing off her long, tan legs. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back in relaxed curls. Her blue eyes always claimed frailty, but if there was one thing the boys of Dalton knew, it was that their dean was anything but frail.

Her personality contrasted with her beauty like black paint thrown onto white walls. She was ruthless, and never accepted 'No' for an answer. Other principals and deans alike often came to the school just to watch how she dealt with the mayhem of her day, in hopes of picking up a few tricks to make their own school run as well.

"Now gentlemen," Both boys sat up a little straighter, watching as their dean pushed her thin-framed glasses slightly back up her nose, her slight Russian accent audible. "I understand that earlier today there was a – let's call it a disagreement – before classes began." She stared expectantly at the boys, already knowing the answer, but pressing it out of them nonetheless.

"Yes, Dean Barikov." Both boys answered at the same time, glaring at one another.

"And, why, gentlemen, was there a disagreement?" Blaine looked over to Elliot, seeing that the senior was staring at Blaine as well. After locking eyes for a few seconds both boys knew what they had to do.

"Blaine was hitting on my boyfriend." Blaine's eyes widened. While he knew that they couldn't tell Dean Barikov about Kurt's stalker-threatener-life-terroriser, he hadn't been expecting Elliot to set the blame squarely on Blaine's shoulders. Dean Barikov raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

"Really, gentlemen?" Both boys looked at the floor sheepishly. "While I know that young men your age tend to overreact I do expect every young man of Dalton to act as such...young men. You are not heathens, you are not hooligans, and you most certainly _do not_ start throwing punches in my hallways."

Despite the fact that Dean Barikov hadn't once raised her voice, the two boys found themselves pushing their bodies deeper into their chairs. The woman didn't need to raise her voice to capture the undivided attention of her pupils; her personality and her attitude simply demanded it.

"Yes, Dean Barikov." The two answered together once again, saving the dirty looks they wanted to give one another for a different time.

The silence in the room was deafening. Both boys were waiting for the obvious decision of their expulsion. The anti-bullying policy at Dalton was strongly enforced, and no one ever disobeyed it. The boys of Easton were a little wild undoubtedly, but their actions could never be considered bullying. When Dean Barikov finally spoke both the dark haired boys jumped a little in their seats.

"So gentlemen, I believe that ten hours of community service is a fair punishment." The dean almost laughed at the stunned expressions on the young men's faces. "No, I'm not expelling you. Both of your records are perfect, and I would like to keep them that way. So if you both complete the service I have given you, nothing will be put on your records." Both boys snapped out of their shock at the same time, talking over one another in loud, desperate voices.

"Thank you Dean Barikov!"

"You have no idea how much this means, Dean Barikov!"

"You're not going to tell our parents, are you Dean Barikov?"

"Gentlemen." Elliot and Blaine stopped talking and stared at their administrator. "Seeing as how neither of you understand the magnitude of the favour I am doing you, I am going to assign you a watcher. You will be working your community service hours together, side-by-side, and if your watcher reports back to me with so much as a complaint concerning the two of you and your childish arguing, your hours of service will be extended." Blaine and Elliot both made to speak on the unfairness of their sentence. It was impossible for them to be in the same room without arguing, let alone work with each other. Dean Barikov, however, silenced them with one hand. "This will continue until both of you learn how to get along, or at the very least tolerate someone who displeases you."

Blaine looked at the ground, defeated. How was he going to get through ten hours of working alongside Elliot without attempting to choke the senior out? He fought the urge to put his head in his hands and stared straight ahead. He just wanted to get through this meeting with as minimal damage as possible.

Beside Blaine Elliot was thinking the same things. There was nothing he wanted more desperately than to show Blaine how unavailable Kurt was. Elliot didn't even know how he was going to control the sudden temper flares he had when Blaine was around.

Dean Barikov stood, pleased with the silence in the room. "You are both excused." Blaine and Elliot stood, both saying giving their gratitude to the dean. They were almost out the door when she spoke one last time. "Don't forget gentlemen, I have never gone back on my word – you will begin as soon as winter holidays are over."

For the last time that day, Blaine and Elliot answered their headmaster at the exact same time.

"Yes, Dean Barikov."

* * *

Kurt had been waiting in their hallway for over an hour, just pacing from Elliot's door to his own. Mr. West had made Kurt go to the headmaster. In Dalton there was a headmaster and a dean, with the dean doing disciplinary actions and the headmaster handling everything else. Kurt was forced to tell Headmaster Albane everything that had happened that morning. He had told the older man everything, only leaving out the part of his stalker.

Kurt was sure that Blaine and Elliot were going to be expelled; people just didn't start fist fights at Dalton. Kurt was panicking, and he had a right to do so. Blaine and Elliot were undeniably the most two important people at Dalton for Kurt. They were what kept him anchored when he felt like he was floating away.

Kurt was lost in his thoughts, but was startled out of them when a hand clasped his shoulder.

"Hey Kurt." Kurt looked up at the tall boy standing next to him.

"Hey Jeff, what's up?" Jeff had blonde hair and eyes that reminded Kurt of summer fields. He was undeniably gorgeous, but Kurt had never felt attracted to him.

"Actually, Wes sent me to come find you. I'm supposed to tell you that you and Blaine are excused from Warblers tonight. Wes figures that you guys have had enough drama for one night, and we're discussing Regionals songs tonight." Jeff and Kurt shared a laugh, knowing very well how intense the Warblers could get. They were silent for a few moments, both thinking of the events that had happened earlier. Jeff looked at Kurt and smiled gently.

"I hope everything between you and Elliot turns out okay." Kurt just sighed.

"I suppose everyone in school knows that we're dating now?" Jeff gave a loud, boisterous laugh.

"Kurt, I think everyone in Westerville knows that you and Elliot are dating now. Half the school heard him screaming at Blaine, telling him 'to stay away from his boyfriend'." Jeff paused for a second before continuing. "Why didn't you guys tell anyone that you were dating?" Kurt tilted his head to the side, contemplating the question.

"Well, I just wanted to have him for myself for a while, you know? Before everyone found out and started asking us all the standard questions." Jeff nodded, a tiny smile working across his face.

"That's fair. Well I better get going, lunch is almost over." Kurt nodded and watched the Warbler walk away. When he had first come to Dalton Kurt had been accepted into the Warblers with open arms – once they saw what he could do – but Jeff had always been there talking to Kurt and laughing with him. Kurt had always been way too absorbed with Blaine, and then Elliot, to notice that Jeff had good potential to become an amazing friend to Kurt. Kurt was pondering this as Elliot rounded the corner, Blaine following behind him by a few paces.

"Elliot! Blaine! What happened in there? Are you guys expelled? Suspended? What did Barikov say?" Blaine finally stopped the onslaught of questions; he was too tired and angry to be dealing with this. It was hard to believe that just last night he had been cuddling with the boy he...loved. It was still hard for Blaine to realize that he had been that close to telling Kurt the truth, and that he had been monumentally unsuccessful in doing so.

"Kurt, calm down...we're not expelled, we've not been suspended, and we got community service for a punishment. Now can you be quiet?" Kurt silenced immediately at Blaine's tone. He had never spoken to Kurt that way before and instead of feeling hurt, Kurt felt his anger spike. He turned away from Blaine and faced his stupid, stupid boyfriend.

"What the HELL were you thinking?" Elliot jumped a little at the sudden yelling and held up his hands.

"Kurt...what..." Kurt advanced on Elliot, forcing the older boy to back into a wall.

"You _punched_ my best friend in the _face_! In what world is that okay?" Elliot had no clue what to say, he had never seen Kurt like this, all this fire and passion in his eyes.

"I just...he put his...he touched...and the smirk!" Elliot knew his floundering responses weren't going to get him anywhere, but he couldn't focus on anything expect Kurt and his eyes.

Kurt's eyes were probably what Elliot liked the most about Kurt. Despite Kurt's ability to mask all his feeling so that they never showed on his face, Elliot knew that if you looked into his eyes hard enough you could figure out exactly what the brunette was feeling. His blue-green orbs changed colors constantly, and each strong emotion had a specific color. His eyes were a deep grey right now, a color that Elliot had never truly seen, but then again, Elliot had never seen Kurt this mad.

"...a smirk? You hit him...over a smirk?" Kurt was dumbfounded. He had seen boys being stupid, and getting into fights over stupid things, but to punch someone over a smirk? Kurt rolled his eyes, this was ridiculous. It was then that Kurt heard a tiny giggle from behind him. Kurt spun on his heel to face Blaine, only to see him covering his face his with hands, obviously unable to control his laughter. Kurt had had just about enough of this.

"And you!" Blaine jumped and stopped his giggling immediately. "You antagonizing little shit! You knew that he would get mad, you _knew _this would happen! What is WRONG with you? You're both trying to ruin my life" And with that Kurt stormed off down the hallway. Blaine and Elliot both made to follow him but Kurt turned around once again and stared them down.

"And don't you _dare_ follow me!" Both boys stood there, shocked at Kurt's outbursts. When Kurt rounded the corner Blaine and Elliot turned to one another. No words were said, they both just glared at the other. Blaine was surprised how much his hatred for Elliot had grown. He almost couldn't stand to look at the older boy.

Blaine turned away first, muttering something that soundly strangely like 'idiot' under his breath, and walked back to his room. He didn't need this drama; Kurt's was more than enough. Elliot just walked down the hall, eager to go lie in his bed and stare at the ceiling until Kurt came back.

When Blaine got to his room he just sat on his bed, contemplating how much had happened in just two days. He could see that his life was spiralling out of control, but he couldn't make himself care at the moment. Ten minutes went by before the silence was broken. His phone, or Kurt's phone, really, trilled in his pocket. He took it out and gazed at the screen, finally understanding the fear that Kurt must have been feeling.

_Unknown Number:  
Anderson...this isn't your fight, but I have no problem involving you if that's what you want. Give Kurt his phone back, or there may not be a person for you to give the phone back to..._

Blaine stared at the phone in shock. So the stalker knew that they had switched phones...that meant that it must be someone inside the school. Initially Blaine had thought that maybe Karofsky was behind this, after all hassling Kurt seemed to be his favourite thing to do. But now Blaine knew it couldn't be him, there's no way he could know that they switched phones.

Blaine finally understood the fear that Kurt had felt, he didn't want to tell anyone that this had happened, but he knew he had to at least tell Kurt and Elliot. They were the only ones who knew about this and they needed to work together to figure this out. He would get Kurt and Elliot after Kurt was done cooling down, and then they could all talk about what to do next.

Blaine could only hope that these were idle threats, because if they weren't they didn't have much time.

* * *

Kurt was speeding down the hallway, going anywhere but back to his dorm. All he had to do was make it one more night. Tomorrow was the last day of classes and then they would be on winter holidays. Unfortunately, Kurt's Christmas was undoubtedly going to be lonely. Elliot was going on some vacation with his parents, somewhere in Europe, so any time that Kurt had been looking forward to spending with him was now gone. To add to the sting, his father and Carol had received free tickets to the Bahamas. Apparently everyone at the dental office and at the tire shop had heard about how they had given up their honeymoon money to send Kurt to Dalton. Both workplaces had chipped in money and had given them an all expenses paid trip and two weeks of off time to enjoy it.

So now Kurt was left at home, without a boyfriend or parents to celebrate Christmas with, and he was not looking forward to it at all. He knew that Finn would technically be home, but Kurt knew that his brother would probably be out with friends and Rachel. Kurt sighed; he just didn't want to be alone. Just as Kurt was thinking of how lonely his life was about to get he ran into something solid. Thinking it was Elliot he just about started yelling again, but when he looked up he found that it was Jeff standing in front of him and not Elliot.

"Hey Kurt...you alright?" Kurt just started crying. It had been a long day and there was so many things going on. Despite the fact that now both Blaine and Kurt knew about his problem he still felt so alone. Jeff, startled for a moment, wrapped his arms around Kurt and rocked him back and forth.

Kurt broke then, it was like someone had destroyed the dam inside of him and everything was flowing out now. He trusted Jeff enough to tell him about this, sure they weren't best friends, but there was something about Jeff that made Kurt feel safe. Kurt told him everything; he told him about the texts, and the real reason for the fight, and about how Blaine and Kurt had switched phones for the time being.

Jeff just stood there, holding Kurt, his arms occasionally tensing when Kurt explained some parts of his story. After what seemed like forever Kurt was finally done talking, and was exhausted once again.

"Kurt that's...horrible. How can I help? I want...I want to help." Kurt just pulled back and smiled.

"You already have. I just needed to tell someone who would actually listen. I mean, I know that Blaine and Elliot care about this, but their so busy fighting each other that they have no time left over to help me." Jeff just stared. He couldn't believe what Kurt had just told him. If they weren't careful everyone would know about this, and then some problems would start arising.

Jeff gave Kurt one last hug and pulled back. "I have to get to that Warblers meeting, but we should get together over holidays. I want to help you with this Kurt, more than you could even know."

Kurt just smiled at the taller boy, he really was a sweetheart. "Of course, Jeff. I would love that. Thank you so much for listening to all this craziness."

"It's no problem at all Kurt." And with that Jeff walked down the hall towards the exit, heading to the Warblers choir room.

Kurt walked back to his own room completely content and happy that he had someone who would actually listen to him now.

* * *

David was packing his bag when Wes walked back in to their room. Wes was confused, David wasn't leaving until the day after tomorrow and he knew that David always put off packing until the last minute. Wes, however, was already packed and ready to go. He was leaving tomorrow morning to board an early plane to L.A. where his family was with his sister in the hospital. The school was allowing him to leave for holidays early as the only flight out of Port Columbus to Los Angeles was leaving at five in the morning. Anything after that was too late, wasting too much of what time Wes wanted to be spending with Miranda.

"David...what are you doing?" David only looked up from his bag for a moment, resuming his packing after a quick glance at his best friend.

"I'm packing...what are you doing?" Wes just grinned at his friend; David was always such a smartass. The grin slipped off Wes' face as fast as it had appeared. He shouldn't be smiling and laughing, not while his baby sister was hurting. David saw Wes change right before him. He walked over to his best friend and put an arm around his shoulder.

"I'm coming with you, Wes." Wes looked up at the darker boy, shock clear on his face.

"What do you mean 'coming with me'? Like, dropping me off at the airport?" David just shook his head.

"I talked to Dean Barikov and called your parents. Then I talked to my parents and they all agreed that I should be with you when you go to California." David saw Wes start to object. "No, Wes. I know you like to be the big, strong guy who's always okay, but the truth is you're not okay. Not right now. You need me and I need to be there."

Wes just shook his head. At first David thought that the Asian boy was going to try and convince David not to come, but when Wes looked up there was a small smile on his face.

"There's nothing I can say that will you stay here, is there?" David just grinned at Wes.

"Nope. Not now, not ever." David wasn't expecting the huge hug that followed his words. Wes had launched himself at David, holding tightly to his best friend.

"You're the best friend anyone could have ever asked for." David just laughed.

"Don't I know it? Now let's get to bed, we got to be up early tomorrow."

* * *

Kurt walked back to his room, just wanting to go to bed and bring this horrible day to a close. When he walked into his room Blaine was standing right by the door waiting for him.

"Blaine...what..." Then Kurt saw Elliot, sitting on his bed, like he wasn't in the same room as the one person he couldn't stand in entirety of Dalton.

"Kurt, something happened while you were gone." Kurt instantly thought of his father. What was going on? Was his dad alright?

"I got a message on your phone...It was from your stalker." Kurt sighed in relief, his father was fine. Then Kurt realized what Blaine had said and he instantly got worked up again.

"What did he say? What did he want? Give me my phone!" Blaine handed Kurt the phone, watching the brunette's expressions change as he read the message. "How long ago did you get this?"

"About ten minutes ago; I went and got Elliot, brought him here and we waited for you." Kurt deflated, feeling utterly defeated.

"So they know I don't have my phone anymore." Blaine saw that Kurt was coming to the same conclusion that he had. He explained what he had been thinking quickly, making sure that Elliot knew what was going on as well.

"Well...we might as well switch phones again. If they know then it's kinda pointless." Blaine and Kurt handed each other their phones, feeling stupid for thinking that their plan would have worked. It was then that Elliot finally spoke up.

"So Blaine and I were thinking," Kurt his eyebrows at the thought of the two boys working together. "And we both think that it'd be safer for you to spend the holidays with Blaine." Kurt was confused; he didn't know what the two boys were even thinking.

"Really? And how would that be better?" Blaine and Elliot looked at each other, sharing a significant glance. Blaine spoke next.

"Well...your parents are leaving for a holiday, so it'll be just you and Finn...but if you came and stayed with me then my parents would be around the whole time and you would always be around people." Kurt thought about it, seeing the reason in their plan.

"Well, it's not like my dad is going to just let me stay at your house Blaine, he barely knows you." Blaine took on a look of triumph.

"That's where you're wrong, Kurt. I already called your dad and asked him." Kurt began to panic, thinking that Blaine had told his father about the texts. He didn't want anyone to know, he wanted to figure this out without worrying anyone. Blaine seemed to notice his panic and started shaking his head. "I didn't tell him...that would be overstepping my boundaries. But I did manage to convince him that staying at my house would be in your best interest."

"I don't even want to know what you said to him." Kurt muttered under his breath, starting to wonder how Blaine could convince Burt Hummel of anything.

"So you're going to drive home tomorrow night, spend a few days with your family until Burt and Carol leave, then come over to my house until they get back." Kurt looked to Elliot.

"And you're okay with this?" Elliot flinched at the incredulous tone Kurt was using. He couldn't believe it himself.

"You need to be safe, and I can't be here to do it. My parents would be suspicious if I all of a sudden wanted to not go on our trip, so yes; leaving you with Blaine is the safest thing to do." Kurt shook his head, wondering how they had even got here to this place.

"Alright, so it's agreed. I will spend winter holidays with Blaine. Now Elliot get out...I need some sleep." Elliot nodded, looking dejected while heading towards the door. Kurt followed him out into the hall.

"Hey..." Elliot turned back to Kurt, only wanting to pull the younger boy into his arms. "Thank you...for letting me stay with Blaine. I realize that you could be a jerk about this, but...just thank you" Elliot raised a hand to Kurt's cheek.

"You are more important than any hatred I feel towards Blaine. In the end...you are all that matters." Kurt smiled up at his boyfriend, feeling happy that he had someone who cared about his so much. Kurt reached up and wound his arms around Elliot's neck.

"You're amazing..." Kurt breathed between them before closing the miniscule distance between them. They broke apart quickly; neither feeling up to public displays of affection when there was someone in the school who was obviously angry about it.

"Good night, Kurt." Kurt smiled sadly back at Elliot as he opened his door.

"No, it probably won't be."

* * *

Kurt was sitting in his navigator outside of Blaine's house. His limited time with his dad and Carol had flown by; the exchanging of their various gifts had been heart-warming and special. Finn had gotten Kurt a beautiful Chanel scarf, and even though it was obvious that he had asked for one of the girls help Kurt was still touched by the thought. Finn had practically tackled Kurt when he had unwrapped the autographed jersey that Kurt had gotten him.

Carol and Kurt had surprised each other with the presents they exchanged. Carol had given Kurt a locket. It had a delicate gold chain and the locket itself was in the shape of a circle. When Kurt had looked inside he had almost started to cry. It was a family picture of them, from the day of the wedding. All of them were laughing, their arms slung around each other. Kurt remembered thinking at the time that it was then they really became a family.

Kurt had also bought Carol a necklace. It fell perfectly into the hollow of her throat when she put in on. Carol had been admiring the front design of the pendant, which was clusters of hearts with vines woven between them, when Kurt suggested that she look at the back. Carol gasped at what she saw. On the back the words '_Love you Mom_' were engraved into the metal. Kurt had explained to her that he didn't think he would forget his mom if he started calling Carol his mom too. It had been a very tearful event and even though they would never admit it, Burt and Finn had been crying too.

To finish the night Burt and Kurt had exchanged presents. Kurt had gotten his father a new air compressor bit that he had seen Burt pining over. The older man was overjoyed to see the part and thanked Kurt. When Kurt opened his present he was reduced to screams and flailing. Sitting before him had been the very pair of Doc Marten boots that he had been eyeing up for months. He gathered that his father must have noticed. After a few moments of pure bliss, Kurt had realized how much the boots must have cost his father and he intended to say as much but was unable to bring himself to do so when he saw the look on his father's face. Kurt understood that his father bought him the boots for a reason and he let it go. Overall, it had been a very good first Christmas as a new family.

His parents had left the next day, leaving Finn at home and Kurt setting out to Blaine's. Kurt had known that Blaine came from money, but not this munch money. It was a Victorian style house, and had obviously been in the family for years. It had two towers, one on the east and one on the west. The pristine whiteness of the house was accentuated by the midnight black shutters on the windows. The house somehow managed to look old yet modern at the same time.

Kurt slid out of his Navigator, grabbing his bag from the back seat. He walked to the door and rang the bell, waiting for Blaine to answer. What Kurt was greeted with had surprised him. It was Blaine that was standing before him, but not the Blaine he knew. This Blaine had a light scruff growing across his jaw and had crazy curls sticking out in every direction. This Blaine was wearing thick rimmed glasses that made his hazel eyes seem even brighter. This Blaine was blushing like a schoolgirl.

"Kurt! Hey! Um...I wasn't expecting you until...later." Kurt just grinned at his friend. He liked this unkempt version of Blaine much better than the one he always saw at Dalton.

"Hey Blaine...so...where did dapper Blaine go?" Blaine's eyes widened, then relaxed. This was Kurt, since when did Blaine need to hide anything from him?

"He dies on the weekends and holidays." Kurt let out a full belly laugh.

"Well I can honestly say I've never been happier to see a personality die." Blaine felt his heart warm. Kurt liked him for him, not what persona he used at school, but the true Blaine that was hidden so deep only a few select people knew about him. Blaine reached out to grab Kurt's hand, making him to pull him into the house.

"Come on, I got enough Disney movies to last us weeks." Kurt smiled...yeah; he liked this Blaine a lot better.

* * *

After watching all of the classic Disney movies, singing along to each and every song, they decided that it was time to start setting up. They had planned a Warblers Christmas party to be held at Blaine's house. Blaine's parents were out to a play or a benefit or something that night and the house would be left to Blaine until they got back, which usually wasn't until the next day. They worked on setting up decorations, transforming the house into a Christmas wonderland.

Warblers started to show up around eight, bringing food and drinks with them. The party had been pretty contained, that is until some of the seniors had decided to spike the punch. Kurt and Blaine had decided that while they didn't care if people brought their own alcohol, they would not be supplying any and that anyone who was drinking had to give up their keys. So when the punch got spike everything started to go downhill. The designated drivers started to get drunk, which meant that pretty much everyone was going to have to stay the night.

Blaine had managed to keep everyone relatively safe. He put away every sharp thing in the house and hid all the breakables. At one point Jackson had come up to him asking where Santa was. When Blaine had told him that Santa wasn't coming the boy had almost burst into tears. Blaine had just rolled his eyes and pushed Jackson onto the sofa, covering him with a blanket and telling him to get to sleep.

Blaine felt like a mother. He had to get all the boys a place to sleep, making sure that they were all downstairs and within a relatively close distance to the bathrooms. He had just placed the last boy and was leaning against the doorframe, admiring his work, when someone tapped his shoulder. Blaine sighed and turned around, hoping that it was someone who wasn't too terribly intoxicated. He was stunned to be met by Kurt, who was stumbling all over the place.

Kurt needed to steady himself, he knew this. He was feeling rather funny and had realized that he was rather drunk. He hadn't felt like this since he threw up on Ms. Pillsbury's shoes. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, letting the boy take most of his weight.

"Kurt...were you drinking the punch?" Kurt just giggled.

"Of course, silly! What else was I supposed to drink?" Kurt almost lost his balance and Blaine grabbed the taller boy around the waist doing his best to keep him upright. "Blaine it's like we're dancing! Oh Blaine please dance with me!" Blaine laughed at the boys antics. He was adorable and Blaine couldn't say no to him.

They started to swirl around in slow circles, with Blaine leading them into the kitchen. Kurt put his hands on Blaine's shoulders and pushed himself away slightly, just enough to look in Blaine's eyes.

"You're such a good puppy Blaine." Blaine just smiled questioningly.

"What do you mean puppy?" Kurt looked at Blaine as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Well...you're loy-lo-lo...always there for me," Blaine giggled slightly at Kurt's slurred words. "And you're just so cute, you and your curly hair and those eyes, you're just like a puppy!" Kurt started to clap and laugh, throwing his head back in joy. He opened his eyes and saw something on the roof.

"Blaine...whasat?" Blaine looked to where Kurt was pointing and laughed.

"It's just mistletoe, Kurt." Kurt's eyes widened.

"Ooohh I know what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to kiss the person you're with! Yes! Score one for Kurt!" Kurt started to pump his fists in the air, almost colliding one with Blaine's jaw. Then all of a sudden Kurt's face got very serious. Kurt leaned in closer and closer until their lips met in a chaste, quick kiss. He pulled back and smiled.

"There you go Blaine! You're very own mistletoe kiss!" Blaine didn't even have time to enjoy the fact that Kurt Freakin' Hummel just kissed him, the only thought that was running through his mind was that Kurt had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who had trusted Blaine not to do anything with Kurt while he was away, and while Blaine didn't like Elliot he knew that the two boys both cared about Kurt very much, and that Kurt cared about Elliot.

Blaine knew he had to get Kurt to bed before anything else happened, or God forbid he did something he would not be proud of...like taking advantage of his inebriated friend. He grabbed one of Kurt's arms and slung it over his shoulder, taking most of Kurt's weight.

"Kurt? We're going to go to bed now, okay?" Kurt nodded and started humming.

"Mmmkay." Blaine led Kurt up the stairs into his room, where Kurt's sleeping arrangements were. Kurt was sleeping on a cot right beside Blaine's bed. Blaine got Kurt out of his clothes – for fear that if the brunette woke up with his clothes on he would try to behead Blaine – and set him in his bed. Blaine ran his hand through Kurt's soft hair and sighed. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and held it to his cheek.

"Night Blaine. Love you." Blaine almost choked. He knew that Kurt meant it in a platonic way, but to just hear those words leave the boys' mouth.

"Night Kurt...love you too." Blaine slid into his own bed after putting on his pyjamas. He found himself thinking that it was becoming harder and harder to stay Kurt's friend, without telling the boy how he really felt. Blaine drifted off into a content sleep, thinking of how Kurt's lips had felt on his.

Blaine couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour before he felt someone crawling into his bed. He sat up and saw Kurt fumbling to get under his sheets.

"Kurt, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Blaine reached out his hand to help him but Kurt just swatted it away.

"'M fine, Blaine...just didn't want to be alone." Blaine had barely anytime to process what Kurt had said before he was being pulled down into the sheets, arms wrapping around his body. It took Blaine a few moments to realize what was happening.

"Kurt...we shouldn't...what about Elliot?" Kurt just scoffed, his drunkenness obviously wearing off and being replaced by a hangover.

"We're just cuddling Blaine, I'm sure he'll get over it." Blaine wasn't so sure, but if Kurt was then who was he to argue? He wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders and held him close, knowing that this would probably be the only time he'd ever get to hold Kurt like this. Both boys drifted off then, dreaming of best friends and boundaries and boyfriends.

* * *

Blaine woke up first the next morning, with the sun streaming in through his window. He got up and stared at the small boy lying in his bed, desperately wishing that he could stay there forever. Blaine knew he had to get all the Warblers out of his house, so he headed downstairs, setting out to wake up the hungover boys.

Blaine was greeted by empty couches when he went to the living room. The house was spotless and everything from last night had been put away. Blaine walked around, dumbfounded, until he found a note taped to the couch.

_Dear Warbler Blaine,_

_Thank you so much for the party, it was awesome! We all felt kinda bad for crashing at your house though, and we know you're parents should be home fairly soon, so as a thank you we are gone and the house is clean. Enjoy our little gift to you and have a great rest of your holidays!_

_Love the Warblers_

_P.S. We went into your room...enough said. Don't worry we won't tell Elliot, but dude...come on! Just get a move on already!_

Blaine smiled down at the note, silently thanking his friends for this gift. Blaine folded up the note, placing it in his pocket, and then bounded upstairs to wake up Kurt. Blaine had remembered that Kurt had wanted to bake for the New Directions New Year's Eve party that was in a couple days. Blaine just wanted to be in the company of Kurt, he couldn't care less what they were doing.

Ever since last night he had been wondering what their kiss meant. Was it simply just a kiss under the mistletoe? Or had Kurt wanted to kiss Blaine and used the mistletoe as a cover? Blaine was so confused, but he wasn't going to push the matter. If something was going to happen, it'll happen and if nothing did happen, well then Blaine would let it go.

Blaine pushed open the door to his room and saw Kurt curled up in the middle of his bed, sleeping soundly. Blaine laughed under his breath and walked over to the side of his bed. Kurt looked so peaceful, the most serene he had looked ever since the texts had started to come in. Blaine still felt so responsible for the whole thing. He should have seen it, should have picked up on the signals. Kurt was so stubborn, of course he wouldn't tell Blaine anything like that. Blaine shook his head, trying to clear away the bad thoughts. Today was going to be fun, and he was going to make Kurt forget all about the bad things that had happened in the last few weeks.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's shoulder and shook him slightly. Kurt just grumbled and flipped over, facing away from Blaine. Blaine laughed and tried again, this time shaking a little harder.

"Kurt, you've got to get up if you want to start baking." Blaine was met with a sigh.

"Fine..." Kurt slowly got up on his hands and knees. Blaine would have been blushing if he hadn't seen what Kurt did next.

Kurt straightened his arms and sank backwards, looking just like a stretching cat. Blaine almost lost it when Kurt let a huge yawn out in the midst of his stretching. Blaine was astonished; Kurt looked just like a little kitty! Blaine felt himself falling even more for this gorgeous creature before him.

Kurt looked up at Blaine when he was done stretching. He had been waking up like that since he was a child and was surprised that Blaine had never seen it before, but he did wake up agonizingly early, so maybe that was why. What Kurt didn't understand was the look on Blaine's face; it was starting to worry him.

"Blaine...everything okay?" Blaine snapped out of his haze and started to back out of the room.

"I'll just...uh...let you get dressed. Yeah...meet you downstairs" Kurt shook his head, completely bewildered by his best friend. He watched as Blaine left the room, distinctly hearing the words 'goddamn kitten' leaving his mouth. Kurt decided to let it go, Blaine was always saying weird stuff anyways.

Kurt showered and got dressed, making his way downstairs slowly. There was no sense in hurrying, it was holidays and Kurt was going to relax. Kurt had just walked into the kitchen when a memory from last night hit him. He grasped at his chest and his legs gave out.

Blaine was by his side in seconds, trying to drag him back to his feet. "Kurt. Kurt! What's wrong?" Kurt stared back at him in utter shock.

"I kissed you...Oh God I KISSED you!" Blaine let out a deep breath. This was better than he expected. He had thought that maybe Kurt had gotten another text.

"Kurt...Kurt look at me." Kurt stopped his panicking and looked to Blaine. "Kurt you very drunk last night and we were under the mistletoe. It was just an innocent kiss, nothing more."

"But Elliot..." Blaine interrupted him, not wanting to hear about Kurt's boyfriend.

"Will understand. I'll even help you explain it to him, then if he does get angry he can just punch me in the face again." Blaine saw Kurt smile slightly and knew that for now the boy was satisfied. Blaine pulled Kurt to his feet and pushed him into the kitchen.

"Now get cooking, we've got a lot of baking ahead of us."

* * *

It was a couple hours later when Blaine heard Kurt humming to himself. They had been keeping up a steady stream of conversation, talking about school and friends and the Warblers of course. At one point Kurt had asked where Wes and David had been last night and Blaine had found himself struggling for an answer. The two had told Blaine that they wouldn't be able to make it to the party but hadn't said why. Blaine had just dropped it, but they were two of his best friends and he wasn't pleased to be left out of something.

Kurt had also asked where Jeff had been. The blonde hadn't shown up either, much to Kurt's surprise. Blaine had told Kurt that Jeff had also called ahead and informed Blaine that he was unable to come as well. Blaine hadn't pressed him for a reason and had just left it alone.

Blaine was staring after Kurt, watching him flit about the kitchen, softly humming. Blaine was mesmerised, Kurt was so graceful when he moved. Blaine decided that he could watch him all day.

"Hey Kurt, why don't you plug in your iPod? I would love to hear what song you're listening to." Kurt just smiled and nodded. He walked over to the docking station that was in the corner of the kitchen and placed his iPod in it. He turned up the volume and looked back at Blaine.

"I'm warning you right now, I'm going to sing along!" Blaine laughed and gave a thumbs up, listening to the opening strains. He was surprised at the song; he hadn't really figured Kurt for a pop person. He was distracted yet again though when Kurt began to sing with the song.

_Don't look down_

'_Cause it's easy_

_You're falling for force_

_Just letting it take nature's course_

_And picking it up when it's over_

Kurt was spinning around the kitchen, adding ingredients and mixing as he sang. Blaine smiled to himself; he couldn't take his eyes of Kurt.

_Don't be afraid_

'_Cause the chances are there for the take_

_But treasure the choices you make_

_And know when you must take it slower_

_You may think you had it rough_

_And try to give it up_

_But when you think you you're stuck_

_Just go another way_

Blaine was astonished by Kurt. His voice was perfect for this song, his voice and the artist's flowing seamlessly together. Blaine felt a plan starting to form in the back of his brain. Blaine remembered when Kurt had auditioned for the Warblers. While they had all agreed that Kurt was amazing and needed to be in the group, Wes, David and Thad had found that Kurt had something about him. Something that they thought would never translate to him getting a solo. At the time Blaine had thought it was completely unfair but now he saw how Kurt was when he was just singing for fun and he understood.

_Don't let go of good times_

_And let the bad ones know you feel fine_

_And wear your heart out on your sleeve_

_Love is all_

_Love is all you need_

_Don't be rushed_

'_Cause hurrying causes mistakes_

_Make sure to give more than take_

'_Cause sharing yourself brings you closer_

Kurt was amazing, there was no strain, there was a new factor introduced when he was singing like this. He had captivated Blaine in less than ten seconds, what could he do when singing like this in front of everyone at Sectionals? They would win for sure! Finally realizing this Blaine let himself listening to Kurt's voice, revelling in the sound.

_You may think you had it rough_

_And try to give it up_

_But when you think you're stuck_

_Just go another way_

_Don't let go of good times_

_And let the bad ones know you feel fine_

_And wear your heart on your sleeve_

_Love is all you need_

_Feel with all your senses_

_Make sure to let down your defences_

_There's just one way to make you see_

_Love is all_

_Love is all you need_

Blaine's jaw dropped to the floor during the break in lyrics. Kurt had started to dance, and not just the shuffles and snaps that the Warblers did. He was doing complicated dance moves that he had obviously done before, probably with the New Directions. Blaine wasn't even aware that Kurt could move like that. Before Blaine could even stop himself from drooling Kurt moved into the next part of the song.

_Take a chance now_

'_Cause it's easy_

_Take a chance now for you and me_

_Take a chance now_

_You can reach it_

_Take a chance for me_

Blaine was astonished at the power the Kurt delivered the last note. He had nailed it and it sent shivers up his spine.

_Don't let go of good times_

_And let the bad ones know you feel fine_

_And wear your heart out on your sleeve_

_Love is all you need_

_Feel with all your senses_

_Make sure to let down your defences _

_It's just one way to make you see_

_Love is all_

_Love is all you need_

_It's all you need_

_Love is all_

_Love is all_

_Love is all you need_

Kurt smiled brightly as the song ended, still sashaying slightly around the kitchen as the next song started to play. What Blaine didn't see was Kurt dipping his hands into the flour container.

"Kurt that was...amazing." Kurt just smiled wickedly.

"Really? Well I'm glad you liked it." Blaine was starting to wonder why Kurt was looking at him like that.

"Kurt..." But Blaine was cut off by Kurt blowing flour into his face. Blaine sputtered; Kurt had got it right in his mouth!

"You're going to regret that Hummel..." Kurt just laughed and danced away.

"Oh no way Anderson, I could never regret seeing that look on your face." Kurt didn't even have time to dodge the onslaught of ingredients. Kurt had an egg land right in his hair, the yolk running down the side of his face.

"Blaine Warbler! I...I...I'm going to kill you!" And that's when it began. Brown sugar, chocolate chips, and the occasional spoonful of butter. Blaine ran up and grabbed Kurt's arms, holding them down so he could no longer throw anything. Kurt struggled back, determined to make sure that Blaine was messier than him. What neither of them was expecting was to slip on eggs.

They both fell to the ground, laughing and jostling around, both trying to get the advantage. They looked at each other and something clicked. The smiles fell off their faces, being replaced by looks of wonder. Kurt held his breath and watched as Blaine drew closer. Their noses were brushing and Kurt felt Blaine exhale. And for the second time in as many days Kurt closed the distance between them and kissed his best friend.

* * *

Blaine didn't know what to do. Kurt was sitting in the corner of the couch muttering to himself. Blaine felt horrible; he was going to ruin Kurt's relationship – which wouldn't be so bad for Blaine, but would cause Kurt to never forgive Blaine.

Blaine walked over and sat beside Kurt, cringing inside when the tall boy visibly flinched away from him. "Kurt, it's going to be okay." Kurt just blinked and looked at Blaine.

"How can you even say that? I just _cheated_ on my boyfriend...with my _best friend_, everything is so messed up. I mean, last night we could have explained because I was not myself, but today I was totally fine, and could have stopped it." Blaine waited for Kurt to continue, but saw that he was done.

"But you did kiss me...so what does that mean for us?" Kurt just raised one eyebrow, his jaw going slack.

"_Us_? There is no 'us' Blaine. It's still Kurt and Blaine like always, this doesn't change anything."

"Kurt, I know you like me, why can't you just admit it!" Kurt scoffed, making Blaine narrow his eyes. Kurt took a deep breath and tried again.

"Blaine...we're friends, best friends. And I don't want to change that. What just happened was a mistake and now I know that." Blaine tried to hold in his gasp.

"You...you didn't feel anything?" Kurt just smiled sadly.

"Should I have?" Blaine felt everything inside him break. He really was too late. His chance to win over Kurt was gone. He belonged to Elliot now.

"No..." Blaine looked up and gave Kurt a reassuring smile. "No, we're friends and that's perfect." Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck.

"Good! I don't want to ever lose you." Kurt pulled away to look at Blaine. "We can't tell Elliot; this has to be just between you and me."

"I thought you were going to tell him?" Kurt shook his head.

"No, we can't. He won't understand, you won't tell him, will you?" Blaine knew what Kurt was doing. It was how he got his way with Finn, and Burt, and pretty much everyone else. His eyes got bigger and his bottom lip pouted out a little. Blaine knew that no one could ever resist that face, so he gave in.

"No Kurt, I won't tell him." Kurt's smile could have rivalled the sun.

"Thank you Blaine, you're the best!" Blaine just nodded, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

It was almost as if nothing had changed between Kurt and Blaine. They watched movies, ate meals together and hung out with Blaine's parents, who were not pleased with the mess in the kitchen when they had finally gotten home. The boys were forced to clean the kitchen until it gleamed.

But Kurt knew that something had changed. He knew for sure now that his feelings for Blaine were just as strong. He couldn't pretend that he like Elliot anymore. It was tearing him up from the inside out, he was lying to the two people he cared the most about. While Kurt knew that he would never love Elliot, he did still really want Elliot to be his friend.

Kurt's mind was reeling. He knew what he had to do, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. Right now Blaine had run to the grocery store with his father to get some eggs. They had found out that Kurt and Blaine had 'used' all the eggs and had to run out for more. That left Kurt to just walk around the house, wondering what he was going to do next.

Kurt was lost in his thoughts and didn't see Mrs. Anderson walk around the corner. He ran into her and just about knocked both of them over. Mrs. Anderson grabbed his arms and held them upright, giving Kurt a concerned look.

"Kurt! Are you alright? You've seemed really distracted for the past couple days." Kurt just sighed, he wished his mother was here to talk to, but she wasn't and now Carol was gone too. He needed a motherly figure to talk to and he decided that Mrs. Anderson would be the perfect fill in.

"Mrs. Anderson, have you ever felt like you made such a big mistake that you felt nothing would ever be the same. Like you screwed everything up." Mrs. Anderson just chuckled.

"Kurt, I know what's going on." Kurt raised his eyebrows in shock. "How could I not? You and Blaine have acting so strange that I figured one of you must have realized how you felt. If you want to know the truth...I knew from the second you walked into my house."

"How could you possibly know that?" Kurt was astonished that Mrs. Anderson had figured the two boys out so quickly.

"Because you act the same way around each that my husband and I acted around each other. It's called love Kurt, and you can't deny it." Kurt looked at the floor.

"I figured as much...I've got to fix this." Mrs. Anderson placed her hand on Kurt's back and started rubbing in circles.

"You seem like a smart boy Kurt, I'm sure you'll figure this out." And with that Mrs. Anderson set off to the kitchen. Kurt sat down on the stairs and put his head in his hands. He hoped he would figure this out too.

* * *

Kurt walked into Rachel's house expecting medals and pictures of her achievements littering the walls. Instead he was greeted with fine art and a surprisingly gorgeous house. He and Blaine walked down into the basement where the party was happening. A smile instantly found its way onto Kurt's face. He was greeted warmly into his friend's arms. Kurt had almost forgotten how much he missed them.

He was immediately brought back into the group, being filled in on the gossip. Puck made sexual jokes, Rachel talked about solos, and everyone pretended to care. Brittany was lost the whole conversation and Santana did her best to keep her slower friend up to speed. At one point Kurt thought that he saw something in the two cheerleader's eyes, something that he knew was in his eyes when he looked at Blaine, but he knew that was crazy. Everyone knew that the two girls messed around, but everyone also knew that the two girls did it strictly for fun.

Mike and Tina made out in a corner as usual and Finn just sat there and stared into space. Mercedes didn't leave Kurt's side once and it was like old times. They all joked around and poked fun at one another. To an outsider it would look like they were being intentionally mean, but they were a family and they all understood each other. They were there for each other and it made Kurt feel so grateful to still be part of the family, despite the fact that he wasn't with them all the time.

Blaine stayed on his other side, talking with everyone, clicking especially well with Artie. The two boys talked about music the whole night, making the time pass quickly. Finally it was eleven thirty and everyone was heading to the living room and getting seats. Rachel turned on the television and flipped it to the New York station; they had all agreed that they wanted to watch the New York version to see the ball drop.

Everyone was seated with their significant other. Puck and Lauren had commanded the love seat. Finn and Rachel were squished onto the couch with Mike and Tina. Brittany was seated in Artie's lap off to the right of the couch, cuddling adorably together. Sam and Quinn were seated on the floor with Quinn in between Sam's legs. Mercedes and Santana were actually getting along for once – Kurt thought it was because of the lack of romance in their lives – and the two girls were sitting side by side giggling. Blaine and Kurt – who were not together and everyone knew it! – were standing behind the couch, talking quietly to one another.

Each teen had a flute of champagne in their hands. Rachel's dads were out for the evening, so they had the whole house to themselves and of course Puck had brought alcohol. What the surprise was that along with the hard liquor and coolers he had brought, there had also been a bottle of champagne in the bag.

It was two minutes to midnight when Rachel's door bell rang. Kurt was surprised but no one else seemed to be. Rachel just looked at Kurt over her shoulder and smirked.

"Why don't you go get that Kurt?" Kurt just raised an eyebrow and walked to the stairs. He approached the door and opened it with a flourish. He was looking at the floor and didn't see who was standing in front of him.

"Welcome to Rachel Berry's party, I suggest you escape before you no longer have the choice." Kurt finally looked up when he heard the person in front of him burst out in laughter.

"Elliot! What are you doing here?" Elliot grabbed Kurt around his waist and twirled him around. Kurt laughed out at his boyfriends antics. "You're supposed to be in Europe!" Elliot set Kurt down and smirked at him.

"What? Not happy to see me?" Kurt felt his stomach twist just slightly. He suddenly felt so guilty; he knew that Elliot was for him. Elliot cared and Elliot didn't hide his feelings and Elliot flew from _Europe_ just to spend New Year's Eve with him. Mrs. Anderson had been wrong; it was _love, _it was _loneliness_.

"Of course I'm happy to see you, are you crazy?" Both boys started to laugh wrapping their arms around one another. Kurt didn't even realize how much he hadn't been missing his tall, dark, gorgeous boyfriend. Just then the two boys heard everyone downstairs screaming their 'Happy New Year's' to each other.

Elliot leaned into Kurt, bringing his lips to the younger boys' ear. He whispered into Kurt's ear, sending shivers up his spine.

"Happy New Year's, Kurt." With that Elliot closed the distance between them, capturing Kurt's lips. Kurt melted into the kiss, forgetting all about Blaine and the kiss that they had shared just a few days ago.

If the two boys hadn't been so absorbed with each other they would have noticed Blaine walking up the stairs and witnessing their reunion. Blaine's heart almost stopped, he had thought that maybe Kurt would tell Elliot that he needed time or that maybe he didn't feel the same way. But no, Blaine saw the couple as happy as ever. He saw the two boys break apart and start walking back towards the stairs. Blaine quickly hid around the corner by the stairs.

Once he heard the two boys walk downstairs Blaine headed towards the door. He didn't want to be here, watching the two lovebirds swapping spit and showing off their relationship to the world. Blaine grabbed his coat and keys, grateful that he hadn't had anything to drink, and went out to his car. He drove out of Rachel's driveway, flipping on his stereo. He barked a laugh when he heard what song had just started.

_I shouldn't love you_

_But I want to_

_I just can't turn away_

_I shouldn't see you _

_But I can't move _

_I can't look away_

Blaine had started to sing along with the song. It pretty much summed up everything he was feeling right now.

_I shouldn't love you _

_But I want to_

_I just can't turn away_

_I shouldn't see you_

_But I can't move_

_I can't look away_

_And i don't know _

_How to be fine when I'm not_

'_Cause I don't know_

_How to make a feeling stop_

Blaine couldn`t even understand what was happening now. He knew that he and Kurt were supposed together. He had felt as if when Kurt had kissed him everything inside had been sucked out, changed, and put back in. Blaine felt completely different, but apparently Kurt didn`t.

_Just so you know _

_This feelings taking control of me_

_And I can`t help it_

_I won`t sit around_

_I can`t let him win now_

_Thought you should now _

_I`ve tried my best to let go of you_

_But I don`t want to_

_I just got to say it all before I go_

_Just so you know_

The song was right. Blaine couldn`t turn off the feelings that he had. They wouldn`t leave no matter what he tried. He had tried not to think about Kurt. He had given Kurt time when he had asked for it, in hopes that he too would be able to forget his feelings.

_It`s getting hard to_

_Be around you_

_There`s so much I can`t say_

_Do you want me_

_To have the feelings_

_And look the other way_

_And I don`t know_

_How to be fine when I`m not_

_`Cause I don`t know _

_How to make a feeling stop_

Blaine thought back to the first time he had met Kurt. He had seen a gorgeous descending the staircase and had been awestruck. He never met a boy that had made him feel this way, but instead of confessing his feelings when he got to know Kurt a little better he had hid them deep within himself. He had been so scared of scaring away the angel-like boy that he had tried his hardest to keep him happy. Now Blaine knew that if he had wanted Kurt to be happy he just should have told him the truth.

_Just so you know_

_This feelings taking control of me_

_And I can`t help it_

_I won`t sit around_

_I can`t let him win now_

_Thought you should know_

_I`ve tried my best to let go of you_

_But I don`t want to_

_I just got to say it all before I go_

_Just so you know_

Blaine was almost in tears. He had really messed things up; he had screwed things about royally actually. He couldn`t think of any way to fix this.

_This emptiness is killing me_

_And I`m wondering why I waited so long_

_Looking back I realized it was always there_

_Just never spoke of_

_I`m waiting here_

_Been waiting here_

_Just so you know_

_This feelings taking control of me_

_And I can`t help it_

_I won`t sit around_

_I can`t let him win now_

_Thought you should know_

_I`ve tried my best to let go of you_

_But I don`t want to _

_I just got to say it all before I go_

_Just so you know_

_Just so you know_

_Thought you should know_

_I`ve tried my best to let of you_

_But I don`t want to _

_Just got to say it all before I go_

_Just so you know_

_Just so you know_

The song drew to a close and Blaine`s head finally cleared. He knew that Kurt was content with Elliot, but he wasn`t as happy as he should be. If he had been then he would have been a whole lot more upset after their kiss, but Blaine had been able to calm him down easily.

Blaine was friends with Kurt first, Elliot barely knew him. Blaine knew what would sweep the countertenor off his feet and Elliot wouldn`t even know how to woo him. Blaine was going to take Kurt back. He was going to get Kurt and then he wasn`t ever going to let him go.

* * *

**_In the Next Installment: _**_Will Kurt be able to make it through Dalton midterms? How will Kurt handle Blaine's obviosu advancments? Will Elliot find out about the kiss? Who the **hell** is Kurt's stalker? _

_*devilish smile* You're just gonna hafta wait I guess :) *lessthanthree*_


	7. Secrets and Deceit

_A/N: So I know you all have been waiting ages for this chapter and I know you're gonna look at this and be like "...WHAT? BITCH TOOK THIS LONG TO WRITE THIS LITTLE?" to which I would reply "...I'm a fail :(" This chapter was originally going to be ridiculously long, like in the 20,000 word range. But recently I have found that if I keep chapters to under 10,000 words they tend to come out faster :) Imagine that. So here is a short chapter and the chapters following this will be about this size as well, so you can look forward to updates more often! YAY!_

_I hope you guys like chapter 7 because some major shit is about to go down! Love and thank you's to all my readers and to all of you that review faithfully! XOXO_

_EDIT! So I finally put Part I and II on the same chapter! So here is the complete Chapter 7 of The Perfect Mistake all in one place for you! Just a reminder for those who care, you can always pop over to my tumblr account (forevermusically[.]tumblr[.]com) to check put other things for all my stories! Love you all! _

* * *

Kurt was sitting in his room studying quietly, trying his hardest to review for the upcoming midterms. He couldn't really concentrate, his brain opting for turning over the events that had occurred at the New Years Eve party.

After his kiss with Elliot they had gone downstairs, Kurt had wanted to know who exactly knew about his boyfriend. When he got downstairs he immediately looked for Blaine – wanting to give him a signal or something to warn him that Elliot was here – but couldn't find the shorter boy anywhere. When he asked his friends they all said that they saw him go outside.

Kurt left Elliot down with his friends and ran up the stairs. He walked through the front door, looking for Blaine's car, but it was gone too. Kurt had just sighed and returned to the party; obviously he would have to talk to Blaine the next day. Kurt went back to the party only to find his brother and all the other boys interrogating Elliot. He had quickly run over, trying to save his boyfriend from certain death.

The rest of the night had consisted of everyone trying to get to know Elliot. Kurt knew something was off; usually the kids in New Directions were very open and accepting, but he could see them withdrawing. Kurt had let it go, thinking that maybe they just needed time to warm up to one another. When Elliot left he was given hugs and wishes for a safe drive home. Kurt hadn't noticed anything unusual, but he hadn't seen Sam lean in a little closer and whisper something in Elliot's ear. Elliot had left immediately after that, telling Kurt that he would see him at school in a few days.

As for Blaine, well he had been avoiding Kurt too. He would leave the room as soon as Kurt walked in and he sat as far away from him at meals. Kurt couldn't even think about what he had done wrong to make Blaine this upset. When he had finally asked Blaine, the shorter boy had just sighed and apologized for his behaviour. Kurt had been so confused and Blaine had explained that he had seen Kurt and Elliot's New Years kiss and had told Kurt that it reminded him of the time he caught the couple in the choir room. Kurt had almost laughed with relief; he had thought that Blaine was actually mad at him, but even after the confession Blaine was still keeping his distance. Kurt just couldn't win these days.

So here Kurt was now, sitting alone in his room, studying and wishing that Elliot would talk to him. The older boy had been standoffish ever since the party and Kurt was getting tired of all the weird looks and avoiding. Kurt threw his books down and jumped off the bed, he was going to find out what was wrong with Elliot before things got out of hand.

Kurt was just about to open the door when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He seized up, he was constantly afraid of text messages coming in now, thanks to the threats he had been receiving. He hadn't gotten one since he had gotten his phone back, and hoped that this was just an innocent text from Mercedes or Blaine. He pulled his phone out and glanced at the screen. His breath all left with an audible _whoosh_ when he saw the name.

_Unknown Number_

Kurt almost didn't open it, almost ran straight to Elliot but he steeled himself. He needed to be strong and he needed to be able to take care of himself. He opened the message.

_I wonder how Elliot would feel about your little kiss with Blaine... Probably not to happy...you are disgusting filth, cheating on someone like Elliot...you don't deserve to be happy, and you don't deserve Elliot! Break up with him Hummel, or you'll regret it..._

Kurt just stared at the text. How had they known about the kiss? No one knew about that, Kurt had sworn Blaine to secrecy. His dorm door had opened just as Kurt's legs started to give out. Kurt fell forward, fully expecting to hit the floor, but found himself cradled in a strong pair of arms instead. Tears were blurring Kurt's eyes, making it impossible to see who was with him, but Kurt would know that voice anywhere.

"Kurt...Kurt! What's wrong, Kurt?" Kurt just weakly pointed to his phone, not having the heart to speak. He saw his phone disappear from in front of him and heard a gasp from above him. Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself enough to talk.

"Blaine..." Kurt was silenced by a hand rubbing his back. Kurt almost shrank away from the touch, but couldn't make himself move. Instead he leaned into Blaine's warm body, trying fruitlessly to make his tears stop.

"Kurt, I don't know how they found out about our kiss but I need you to not worry about this. I need you to be strong and I need you to pretend everything is fine." Kurt just gasped and pulled away.

"You...you want me to act as though I'm _fine_?" Blaine just held up his hands in surrender.

"Kurt, think about it. This person obviously goes to school with us and if you walk around visibly showing that you're defeated then the texts may just get worse. You'll be getting them everyday instead of just once in a while...I don't think we could handle that." Kurt just relaxed against Blaine and let his tears flow freely, Blaine didn't want him to ignore the problem, just pretend to. Kurt just nodded his agreement against Blaine's chest, not feeling up to talking anymore.

Blaine reached past Kurt and gently shut the door to their room, grateful that nobody had walked by. The two friends sat like that until the late hours of the night, with Kurt crying into Blaine's chest and Blaine holding onto him tightly. It was almost two in the morning when Kurt finally nodded off, tears tracks obvious on his face. Blaine stood and grabbed Kurt under his knees and head, carrying the light boy bridal style to his bed. Blaine laid him down and got him ready for bed. He removed Kurt's shoes and blazer. He decided to leave the shirt on, with a few buttons undone, and left the pants as well. He felt that Kurt wouldn't be too pleased that he had fallen asleep in his uniform, but Blaine felt that Kurt also may not be happy about Blaine undressing him.

Blaine just sat down on Kurt's bed, wiping the tears off his friends face and pushing his limp bangs off his face. Blaine couldn't understand how anyone could harass such a beautiful, perfect boy. There was no way Kurt had done anything to deserve this. Kurt was sweet and kind – and yeah, he was a little bit of a diva – but it was endearing and adorable.

Blaine moved to his own side of the room, meandering about and getting ready for bed. Blaine felt so useless, he couldn't do anything to help Kurt except hold him when he cried. Blaine almost decided to not go through with his plan for tomorrow, but decided that, if anything, Kurt needed to be cheered up.

Blaine fell asleep within moments of collapsing on his bed and when he dreamed that night it was of blue eyes and an angelic voice.

* * *

_Secrets and Deceit: Part I_

* * *

Kurt was hurrying to his locker, not wanting to be late for class. He had eaten with Wes and David that morning and no matter how much he asked that had refused to tell him where they were over break. All Kurt had gotten was that they had been together for the holidays. When Wes had gotten up to get more bacon, David had looked over at Kurt and assured him that when Wes felt the time was right they would explain to both Blaine and Kurt. It was only then that Kurt had noticed that Blaine was absent, not just from their table but from the cafeteria in general. Kurt had let it go, figuring that Blaine must have gone to class early – something that wasn't entirely unusual for him.

As Kurt walked to his room he noticed a familiar scent fill the air. It was sweet and made Kurt sigh in pleasure. Kurt loved the smell of vanilla, it calmed him down when he was upset and he made a conscious effort to use his vanilla body lotion every day.

The smell got stronger and stronger as Kurt neared his locker. Finally he was standing in front of his locker and was overcome by the smell of vanilla. Kurt raised an eyebrow and spun the lock, pulling open the door. What he had not been expecting was an avalanche of orchids to cascade out of his locker. Kurt stepped back quickly, surprised by the sight in front of him. Kurt felt rather than saw a body next to him. When he looked up he saw Blaine leaning against a locker, smiling brightly at him.

Kurt opened and closed his mouth, effectively looking like a fish. He was shocked by what had just happened.

"Was this... was this you?" Kurt flailed his hands a little, not really caring what he looked like at this point. Blaine just shrugged himself off the lockers and moved to stand beside Kurt.

"Do you like it?" Kurt just picked up a single flower, holding it up to his nose and smiling. "I just thought that after all the crap that's been happening you could use a little happiness...and I wanted to say that I'm sorry...for everything that happened over holidays."

Kurt blushed and looked away. "That wasn't just your fault Blaine...I can share the blame." Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand in both if his own, Kurt didn't pull away but kept his gaze averted.

"Hey...Kurt, look at me." Kurt slowly brought his eyes up to meet Blaine's. "Blame is something people use when a mistake happens, so nobody needs to take to blame." Blaine quickly lifted Kurt's hand to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles, and then whisked down the hallway. Kurt just gaped after him, trying to understand what his best friend – who had _never_ shown any interest in him before – had just said to him.

Kurt felt his cheeks heat up and knew that they were a rosy red by now. He felt his heart swoop inside his chest and almost sighed out of happiness but then it hit him. He had a boyfriend; a beautiful, smart, funny, amazing boyfriend who had liked him from the moment he met him – and not when he was suddenly unattainable.

Kurt shook his head, trying his best to rid himself of any warm, fuzzy thoughts towards Blaine. Blaine was just upset and scared of losing Kurt; he wanted Kurt to break up with Elliot so that they could spend all their time together again. Kurt knew that once he and Elliot broke up Blaine would stop his advances and turn to other boys again. Kurt felt himself starting to get angry. He would not let his happiness be taken away by Blaine's selfishness.

Kurt grabbed his books for his next class and slammed his locker door closed. He threw the flower he was holding to the ground to lay amongst the others there. He got about three feet away before he turned around and grabbed the flower back. He clenched the orchid in his hand and sighed. Between Elliot's hatred towards Blaine and Blaine's jealousy, Kurt felt himself getting pulled in two opposite directions. He didn't know what to do with these boys anymore, but he knew that their tug 'o' war for Kurt's attention wouldn't last long before he snapped.

* * *

Kurt hadn't been to a real Friday night family dinner in weeks, which was precisely why he was driving at insane speeds to get to Lima. Even though he had been home for winter holidays he still hadn't got to see Burt and Carol that much because of their vacation. Kurt was just excited to see his parents and be able to sit down and have a peaceful supper and a quiet weekend with them.

Kurt got home in a record time of one hour, with two hours being the usually amount. He jumped out of his Navigator and slammed the door behind him, running to the front door. He didn't even make it all the way up the driveway before the front door opened, revealing a forty-something year old man running to meet him. Kurt felt a smile take over his face and felt instantly lighter.

"Dad!" Kurt ran right into Burt's outstretched arms. Kurt sighed when he felt the strong arms wrap around his torso.

"Hey pal! We've missed you so much!" Kurt released his father and stepped back so he could looking into the older Hummel's eyes.

"I've missed you guys to...so where are Finn and Carol?" Burt slung an arm around Kurt's shoulders and led him back to the driveway, set on helping Kurt get his bags.

"Well Carol is making supper as we speak and Finn is out on an errand for me, he should be back soon though." Kurt just nodded, grabbing one of the two bags from the back of his vehicle. After Burt grabbed the other bag the two headed inside. Kurt dropped his bag at the foot of the stairs and walked into the kitchen.

He smiled when he saw Carol. She was bustling around the kitchen, checking dishes and pulling pans in and out of the oven. Only when Kurt cleared his throat did she turn around. Once she saw it was Kurt she immediately put down the pot in her hand and ran over to give him a hug.

Kurt had almost forgotten what a mother's hug felt like, and was constantly surprised by the warmth and love that came across. "Hey Mom." Kurt felt Carol's breath hitch and he pulled back slightly only to see tears in her eyes. "What..." Kurt began but Carol just shook her head.

"They're happy tears, Kurt. I guess hearing you call me 'Mom' is going to take some getting used to." Kurt beamed at her, happy that she was crying not because she was sad, but because she was happy.

"Well _Mom_ I guess I'm just going to have to start using it more often." Carol laughed and smacked Kurt's arm lightly.

"I guess so _son_. Now go take your bag upstairs and get down here to help me with dinner; your father and Finn and useless in the kitchen." Kurt laughed at the indignant look on Burt's face when he heard what Carol had said. He walked out of the kitchen, grabbed his bag and headed upstairs to his room.

He pulled open the door and let out a sigh of relief. It still smelled like home, like vanilla and home cooked meals and...love. Kurt loved Dalton and the security it brought, but it wasn't home and that's what this was. His father and he had made a home with Carol and Finn, a safe place that was full of love and acceptance. Kurt set his bag on the floor and fell into his bed. Staring up at the roof he thought of the past few days.

Blaine had been overly nice; the flowers had been a prime example of that. Ever since New Year's Eve Blaine had been the definition of a gentleman, holding open doors for Kurt, carrying his lunch tray, acting like a knight in shining armour.

Kurt couldn't understand what Blaine was doing. Maybe he was trying to make up for the kiss they had shared over Christmas, Kurt just didn't know. The thing that was concerning him the most was what would happen if Elliot found out. Kurt knew that the senior hardly got along with Blaine, but what would he do if he found out about Blaine's actions? Kurt was starting to get truly distressed when his door swung open.

"Kurt, Mom's asking for you downstairs. She said something about you being the only one who knew what you were doing and then she kicked me out of the kitchen." Kurt looked at Finn and smiled. Finn seemed genuinely upset that he had been told to leave the kitchen.

"Alright, I'll come down." Kurt jumped off his bed and passed Finn, muttering under his breath, "Absolutely useless." Finn made an indignant noise and started chasing Kurt.

"I'm going to get you, Hummel!" Kurt shrieked and took off down the hallway. He stopped at the stairs and turned back to Finn, who had a hard time careening around the corners.

"Like you could catch me, Hudson!" This only increased Finn's efforts and Kurt took off down the stairs at a dead sprint. Finn was close behind and on the last step Kurt's foot slipped, causing him to fall to the floor. Finn didn't even have time to think about stopping before he too was lying in a pile on the floor, his body sprawled across Kurt's. Both looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Neither knew that Burt was coming out of the kitchen and didn't have time to compose themselves before Burt saw them.

"Boys what the hell are you..." Burt stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. It was something that Burt never would have thought he would see in his lifetime. His son and stepson were lying of the floor laughing, completely carefree and innocent behaving like real brothers. A tear almost came to Burt's eye at the sight of it all, before this moment he hadn't truly realized how well this family was going to work. Burt just shook his head and smiled. "Alright you two, it's time for supper, get up to the table."

* * *

Kurt was eating silently, knowing that he was going to have to drop the bomb soon. He had been dating Elliot for almost a month now and his parents still didn't know. He was going to have to tell them sooner or later, but he just couldn't find the right time. He drew in a big breath and set down his fork, wanting to just get this over with.

"Dad...I have something I need to tell you." Burt just raised an eyebrow. Kurt almost stopped talking altogether. There was something about the expression on his father's face that made him think that he had already done something wrong.

"What it is Kurt? Is someone bullying you? Are those boys harassing you? Or maybe your boyfriend did something to upset you?" Kurt just froze, his eyes widening almost comically. He was about to ask his father what he was talking about when he caught sight of Finn's face. His eyes were almost as big as Kurt's and his mouth was opening and closing rapidly. Kurt instantly knew what had happened and narrowed his eyes.

"Finn! What the hell?" Finn threw up his hands, looking as though he was surrendering.

"Kurt I didn't know! Why haven't you told him yet anyways?" Kurt just stared. This was not how he wanted his father to find out about Elliot. Kurt's thoughts kept spiralling around, bouncing from wall to wall inside his head. Only the low, growling sound of his father's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Kurt, why didn't you just tell me?" Kurt's heart almost broke hearing his father so broken.

"Dad, I..." Kurt was interrupted by Burt, the older man lifting his hand to Kurt.

"We've always been able to talk about everything, why is this any different? Why can't you trust me with something so important?" Burt looked heart-broken, and Kurt couldn't bear it. He had never wanted to hurt his father, he had never wanted this.

"Dad I didn't tell you because I was scared." Burt opened his mouth to interrupt but Kurt shook his head. He needed to get this out. "I wasn't scared of you; I was scared of disappointing you. There's nothing worse that I can imagine. What of you hated him? What if you thought he wasn't good enough for me? I really like this guy, Dad, and I don't think I could take it if you didn't like him too."

Burt looked at Kurt with sadness in his eyes; he couldn't believe all the pain and fear his son had been holding in, just because he was afraid of disappointing him. He stood up and walked over to Kurt, motioning for Kurt to stand up as well. Kurt rose slowly, wary of what his father was going to do. Kurt knew that his father would never hit him, but he knew that Burt had no problem yelling. Kurt was surprised when he felt his dad's arms grab onto his shoulders and pull him in roughly for a bone-crushing hug.

"If you like him then he must be a good guy. I've always trusted your judgement, and I trust that you wouldn't pick a total loser." Kurt chuckled at his father's wording.

"Not a total loser, just a little bit right?" Burt smiled and Kurt knew that everything was going to be okay. The two stepped away from each other and sat back down. They began to eat their dinner once again when Burt spoke up.

"I still expect to meet this boy, though." Kurt looked at his father, beaming at him, and nodded. It was then that Carol could no longer contain herself.

"So is he cute?" Kurt laughed and nodded. The two lapsed into easy conversation, discussing this new boy in Kurt's life. Finn and Burt ate their meals in silence, both trying to hide the huge smiles that were trying desperately to break across their faces.

* * *

Blaine sat at his desk, running his hands through his hair. Midterms were only a few days away and then all hell would break loose. What most new kids didn't know about Dalton was that during test weeks the serene campus turned into a madhouse. Easton was no longer the only crazy house; instead all three houses were thrown into chaos.

Each house dealt with the stress differently, making the whole ordeal that much worse. Spencer boarders were at any and all of the Dalton recreation facilities. The gym, the pool, even the track, despite the cold weather. Hawkins students became edgy and volatile. The young men would stay at the library until it closed, pouring over books and making notes. However, every person on campus could agree that the Easton house was by far the worst. The overly excited boys would turn to pranks to relieve stress, with no one being an exception, not even their own house members.

Needless to say, Blaine was having a hard time concentrating on studying. He hadn't been able to spend any time with Kurt lately, considering that the brunette was even more worried about midterms than Blaine was. Blaine was getting closer and closer to just tracking his roommate down and forcing himself on him. He needed to go for coffee with Kurt, or talk to him. It was so bad that Blaine would even offer to go shopping with Kurt just to get some time with him.

Blaine slammed his textbook shut and stood up. He couldn't take this anymore, he needed to get out and do something. He needed to find his best friend.

* * *

"So you're finally going to introduce me to your family?" Kurt was getting a little tired of this. Elliot was being insufferable, and frankly, he was acting like a child.

"Yes, Elliot...and I understand that you would have preferred to meet them a while ago, but as I've told you before the timing wasn't right. So you can wipe that smirk off your face!" Kurt hadn't meant to get so exasperated, but the way Elliot was looking at him was driving him insane. Now Elliot was laughing in his face, and Kurt was seriously contemplating leaving the library. He was just about to walk out when Elliot grabbed his arm.

"No, babe! I'm...I'm not laughing at you...I'm just really happy." Kurt raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Ok well maybe I was laughing at you a little, but you look so cute when you're angry!" Kurt tried his hardest not to let the threatening smile break across his face, but lost out in the end. Elliot tugged on his arm, pulling Kurt into his arms.

"How can I not stay mad at you?" Elliot flashed Kurt a dazzling smile.

"I'm just too amazing, I guess." Kurt just rolled his eyes, playfully shoving Elliot's shoulder. The two continued talking, not noticing the door to the library opening slightly.

"Alright, well I have to go." Kurt just smiled and laughed slightly.

"That's right; Mr. Dorm Advisor needs to go to his important meeting." Kurt spoke in a tone tinged with mocking, joking around with his boyfriend. Elliot stared at Kurt for a moment before grabbing him around the waist, picking him up in the process.

"Put me down you beast!" Kurt laughed and squealed, loving the feeling of Elliot's arms around him. Elliot obliged Kurt's screeches and set him down, keeping his arms around him.

"I really am excited about meeting your parents, and your brother." Kurt looked into Elliot's eyes and saw his sincerity. It warmed his heart to know that someone cared about him enough to want to meet his family.

"I know, and I really want you to meet them." Elliot bent down to gently press his lips to Kurt's. Kurt got the butterflies that he always seemed to get when kissing Elliot, but ever since after Christmas break he couldn't help but feel like there was something missing. Kurt was snapped out of his thoughts by Elliot breaking their kiss. Kurt pulled him in again, pressing his mouth to Elliot's with more passion, feeling slightly guilty about not really paying attention while they were making out. Elliot laughed into Kurt's mouth and pulled himself away again.

"I really do have to go, but you should know that I'd much rather stay here with you." Kurt smiled gently and nodded.

"I know, I know; but you're Mr. Big Shot so you have to go to meetings. Now get out of here, before you're late and the Spencer DA tries to chase you with a hockey stick again." Elliot let out a loud laugh and leaned in for one last chaste kiss. He turned away from Kurt, cutting across the library to head to his meeting. Kurt sighed while looking after him, wishing that he could just go study now, but he knew better than that.

"Alright Blaine, come on out. I know you're there." The door swung open to reveal a smug looking Blaine. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his best friend.

"What? You getting your kicks by being a Peeping Tom these days? Not really sure if that's a sociably acceptable thing there, Blaine." Blaine just laughed and stood beside Kurt.

"Dinner with the family? Really? Kurt you've been dating for months and you're just introducing him now?" Kurt didn't like the superior tone in Blaine's voice, his eyes narrowed on their own accord.

"What I do with my boyfriend is none of your business!" Kurt snapped at Blaine, causing the raven-haired boy to stare in surprise. Blaine knew that he had been pushing his luck but he hadn't expected Kurt to snap at him.

Kurt saw Blaine's face fall, knowing that he had overreacted. "Blaine...I'm sorry, it's just... Well things have been a little crazy lately. With midterms next week and sectionals coming up, I've just been pushing myself a little too hard." Blaine looked at Kurt, taking in his beautiful features, soaking up the look of sincerity that Kurt was giving him.

"It's fine, I crossed a line. And you're right anyways, what you do with Elliot is none of my business." Kurt laughed, loud and boisterous, shocking Blaine entirely.

"How did we get here Blaine?" Blaine shot Kurt a questioning look. "You know, we were best friends." Blaine couldn't believe what Kurt was saying. Was he saying that they weren't friends anymore? Blaine's breathing started to quicken.

"We _are_ friends, Kurt! Nothing's changed!" Kurt just shook his head and looked to the ground.

"Everything's changed Blaine. First our kiss at Christmas, then you being kind and chivalrous _all the time_, and the _flowers_, Blaine. Are you trying to send me mixed messages, because if you are I can tell you right now that it's working." Blaine stared at Kurt. This is exactly what he hadn't wanted, he had wanted to bring Kurt closer, not push him away. Blaine opened his mouth to try and explain his actions but was interrupted by the library door slamming open.

Both boys jumped, considering that no one ever used that door. Most students came and left by the main door, with the obvious exception of Blaine and the person who had just barged in on the two boys. When the person walked through the door both Kurt and Blaine's jaws dropped to the floor. Elliot was standing right in front of them, eyes wild with rage.

"You kissed him!" Blaine's eyes widened, not even knowing how to respond. "You little shit! You can't just let me be happy, can you Blaine? First Trevor, now this!" Elliot continued to scream, not noticing that Kurt was slowly herding both boys towards the door. Once they were outside the library Kurt finally spoke up.

"Elliot! You need to calm down; we need to talk about this!" Elliot stopped yelling at Blaine for a few seconds only to start yelling at Kurt.

"And you!" Elliot pointed a finger right at Kurt, making the younger boy flinch. "You _cheated _on me Kurt, and you haven't even tried to explain yourself! What did I do to deserve this? God, you are _just _like Trevor!" It was Blaine who was raging now. He walked up to Elliot and pushed him into the wall. He voice was not loud, but low and deadly; a growling, terrifying sound.

"Shut up Elliot." Blaine yanked Elliot off the wall only to slam him back into it. "Shut the fuck up about Trevor. Kurt is _nothing_ like him, and you know that." Kurt was fed up with the building testosterone. He grabbed Blaine by his collar and yanked him backwards, successfully breaking him off Elliot. He moved to stand in between the two boys, in case they tried to go at each other again.

"Okay, who is Trevor?" Both boys looked at Kurt, completely forgetting that the brunette hadn't been here to see all the drama from last year.

"Trevor was my boyfriend last year, before he cheated on me with Mr. Perfect over here." Kurt's eyebrow's shot up into his hairline, wondering why no one had bothered to tell him this. He was about to ask when Elliot started talking again. "Tell me Blaine, what makes you so much better than me? Why do I always get second place next to you? What the hell do you have that I don't?" Elliot lunged forward to get to Blaine, but Kurt placed both his hands on his chest and pushed backwards.

"Elliot stop!" The older boy paused and looked at his boyfriend. "If you two get caught fighting again then that's it. You're going to get expelled." Elliot backed away from Kurt's touch, pressing himself against the wall. It was dead silent in the room, no one even beginning to know what to say. Finally Blaine spoke up, looking into Elliot's eyes defiantly.

"Kurt didn't cheat on you." Elliot scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm pretty sure kissing you counts as cheating, unless he's dating you too." Blaine tried to step forward but was blocked by Kurt's body. He took a deep breath and spoke again.

"He didn't cheat on you Elliot, I forced myself on him." Elliot gaped at Blaine. Blaine looked to the ground, and when he spoke again his voice was like that of a broken child's. "He's nothing like Trevor."

"God you are such a little home wrecker." Elliot sneered, "You know what, you should have dating Trevor; you two are perfect for each other." And with that Elliot stormed down the hallway, with Kurt taking off after him. Blaine just sunk to the floor, resting his forehead on his knees, tearless sobs ripping through his chest.

"Elliot wait! Elliot!" Kurt ran after Elliot, trying to keep up with the older boy. Elliot whipped around suddenly, causing Kurt to almost crash into him.

"What else is there to say Kurt? What could you possibly say to make this better?" Kurt stuttered, trying to come up with a response.

"Blaine...did...I didn't...you heard him!" Elliot scoffed and glared at the younger boy.

"Why don't you accept some responsibility? It doesn't matter that he kissed you first. I wouldn't have even cared if you had kissed him first. The worst part is that you hid this from me, like you thought I wouldn't understand!" Kurt felt tears come to his eyes, this wasn't what he had wanted; he had never wanted this. He stretched out his hand, just wanted to hold his boyfriend, hoping that his touch would explain everything.

"Elliot...please..." Elliot jerked out of the reach of Kurt's hand, not wanting to be touched.

"Don't Kurt, please don't" Elliot took a deep breath, seeming to making a decision. "We need to take a break." Kurt's heart clenched in horror, this wasn't what he wanted!

"No Elliot! I'll do anything, you can't leave me!" Elliot backed away from Kurt, holding his arms out in front of him as if to ward Kurt off.

"Kurt, either we take a break or we break up. I just can't be around you right now." Kurt held back a sob and nodded, doing anything to make Elliot not want to break up with him. Kurt dropped his gaze to the floor, feeling so ashamed. He felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his shoulders, and jerked, shocked that Elliot even wanted to touch him. He felt Elliot's hot breath in his ear as the older boy whispered to him.

"You're the most important thing in the world to me and I don't want to lose you. I think that if I don't take some time to think about this then I just might." Elliot inhaled deeply and let it out all in one whooshing breath. "I love you, Kurt." Kurt froze at those three words, not knowing how to respond. Did he love Elliot? He didn't know, not at all.

"It's alright if you don't answer back. I just thought you should know." Elliot let Kurt go and bent down to look in the younger boys' eyes. "I want you to do something for me." Kurt met Elliot's gaze and whimpered.

"Anything." Elliot just smiled kindly, the warmth not really reaching his eyes, sadness taking precedence over every other feeling.

"I want you to think about what you really want while we're apart. It's obvious that you have feelings for Blaine still, and that might be my fault." Kurt moved to deny the claim, but was stopped by Elliot. "I think I moved in too fast, you were trying to get over him and I came into the picture. I just want you to think about it." Kurt sniffled, trying to hold back tears.

"Okay." Elliot grabbed Kurt's chin, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you in a few days." And with that Kurt was left alone in the hall. He wrapped his arms around himself, as if to hold himself together. He saw Blaine poke his head out of the library and took off, not really knowing where he was running to, just needing to get away.

* * *

He ended up in the choir room, not really surprised at where his feet had taken him. His threw himself onto the piano bench, shoulders shaking with sobs. He didn't know what he wanted. How could Elliot ask him something like that! He glanced at the keys in front of him, and knew what he had to do right now. He peeled off his blazer, setting it next to him. He placed his hands on the keys, letting them walk skilfully across the keys. He whispered the words to himself, not feeling like singing with all his might.

_Making my way downtown,_

_Walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound._

_Staring blankly ahead just making my way, _

_Making my way through the crowd._

_And I need you and I miss you,_

_And now I wonder._

_If I could fall into the sky,_

_Do you think time would pass me by?_

_Do you know I'd walk a thousand miles,_

_If I could just see you tonight._

Kurt threw himself into the keys, playing as hard as he could, trying to convey every feeling through the music. His voice grew stronger, rising along with his resolve.

_Though it's times like these when I think you of,_

_And I wonder if you ever think of me._

'_Cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong,_

_Living in your precious memories._

'_Cause I need you and I miss you,_

_And now I wonder._

_If I could fall into the sky,_

_Do you think time would pass me by?_

'_Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles, _

_If I could just see you tonight._

Kurt thought about how much Elliot meant to him. He was everything in Kurt's world, all he'd ever need. He didn't know if he loved him, but that would come later. Then Kurt thought about Blaine and how much pain his friend had caused him. It was no contest in Kurt's eyes over who actually cared about him. Blaine was just scared of losing Kurt, so he was trying to convince Kurt that he was interested in him. Kurt knew that Elliot loved him, and that was all he needed.

_If I could fall into the sky,_

_Do you think time would pass us by?_

'_Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles, _

_If I could just see you._

_If I could fall into the sky,_

_Do you think time would pass me by?_

'_Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles,_

_If I could just see you,_

_If I could just hold you,_

_Tonight._

Kurt stared at the keys, finishing the song delicately. He knew what he wanted now. And he knew how to get him back. Kurt grabbed his blazer and turned around, jumping when he saw Jeff standing at the door.

"Jeff! You scared me!" Jeff seemed to not hear Kurt, instead walking to stand right in front of him.

"I heard you and Elliot broke up..." Kurt frowned, how could he have possibly known that? Jeff seemed to see the look on Kurt's face.

"I passed Elliot in the hall and saw him crying. I stopped him to ask what was wrong and he said that you cheated on him, and that he broke up with you." Now Kurt was thoroughly confused, Elliot had said that they weren't breaking up.

"We're not broken up Jeff, we're taking a break." Kurt stopped to beam at his friend. "He said he loved me." Jeff just looked dumbfounded.

"But you cheated on him!" Kurt nodded, the smile slipping off his face.

"Yeah, but I know what I want now, and I know exactly how to fix this." Kurt smiled again and walked past Jeff, patting him on the shoulder as he went.

Jeff glared at the piano, fuming inside. He needed to do something...now. He made his way to the door but stopped himself. No he needed to calm down, everything was fine...for now.

* * *

_Secrets and Deceit: Part II_

* * *

Blaine was tired. He was tired of conflict and of midterms and of Warbler practices. Normally none of these things bothered him, but that was when he and Kurt were speaking. It was the morning after the huge confrontation in the library. Kurt had come back to their dorm room in a good mood...that was until he saw Blaine. His smile had slipped right off his face at the sight of his friend. Blaine had witnessed the brunette deflate before his eyes.

Blaine's heart ached to comfort his best friend, but somehow knew that Kurt wouldn't let him. Instead he stayed on his side of the room and settled for sneaking glances of at Kurt from out of the corner of his eye. They went to bed that night without speaking, both wanting to ignore the problem.

When Blaine woke up the next morning Kurt was already gone. Blaine exhaled, wishing with all his heart that he could fix this. He got up and got ready for the day, going through his routine mechanically. His day finally looked as though it was going to get better when he entered the cafeteria and saw Kurt sitting at their usual table, two coffees sitting in front of him.

Blaine walked up attentively, not wanting to assume that Kurt intended for Blaine to sit with him. He stood at the side of the table, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other until Kurt spoke up.

"It's for you." Blaine looked down at his friend, shocked that Kurt was talking to him. He sat down gingerly, before Kurt changed his mind. He looked nervously from Kurt to the coffee cup in front of him. He jumped slightly when Kurt spoke again.

"I can't not have you in my life, Blaine." Blaine's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, he hadn't been expecting this at all. He let himself hope for a second, hope that maybe Kurt was choosing him. "You're my best friend, I need you." Blaine felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. "I need you to forget what happened over Christmas. It was a lapse in judgement and I regret giving you the idea that I like you back." Blaine felt a lump rise in his throat and he held back tears, determined not to cry in front of Kurt.

"Elliot told me he loved me last night, and I know that's real. This..." He gestured in between himself and Blaine, "this is you being scared about losing your best friend. And that's not fair Blaine." Blaine's brow furrowed. Kurt thought that he only liked him because he was afraid to lose him? He thought about the timing in which he had started to express his feelings.

Only Blaine knew that he didn't just want Kurt because he was taken. Sure, that was what had awoken his feelings, but he knew that he truly loved Kurt. But then Blaine looked at how much damage he had done since he had become aware of his feelings, and the damages certainly outweighed any good that had come out of his realization. He knew that if he wanted Kurt to be truly happy then he would give him what he wanted. He looked into Kurt's eyes and saw the happiness that thinking of Elliot brought him. Blaine sighed; yes this was for the best.

"Alright. We can still be friends though, right?" Blaine began to panic a little. What if Kurt wanted nothing to do with anymore? What if he had ruined everything?

Kurt smiled at him; a million-watt smile that Blaine was sure blinded everyone in the entire cafeteria. "Best friends." Blaine gave a small smile at Kurt's words and nodded.

"Best friends." They were just staring at one another, Kurt blissfully happy in the fact that everything was starting to straighten out again, Blaine trying his hardest to hold himself together. They were startled out of their thoughts when Wes and David came to sit down at their table. Kurt and Blaine shared a look and glanced at the two boys.

Wes and David had been avoiding just about everyone but each other ever since Christmas holidays. They walked to class together, ate lunch by themselves, and didn't venture out of their dorm room unless it was to go to Warbler's practice. Kurt spoke first, low and tentative, as if he was afraid that he would scare the two off.

"Hey guys." Wes gave a half-hearted wave, pushing his food around his plate. David met Kurt's eyes and Kurt was taken aback by the strength and sorrow lying beneath their usual happiness. Kurt began to worry, knowing that David wouldn't look like that if something wasn't wrong.

"What's going on?" David just sighed and lowered his head. Kurt turned to look at Wes and found that the older boy was biting his lip, as if to keep from crying. David finally spoke, keeping his eyes trained on the table.

"You know how Wes and I spent Christmas together?" Both Kurt and Blaine nodded. "Well we spent most of the break at the Ronald Reagan at the UCLA." At this the two juniors looked confused.

"Why would you spend time there? Were you volunteering or something?" David shook his head sadly.

"I only wish. No we were there for Wes' little sister." David nudged Wes, urging him to continue the story. Wes looked up and Kurt almost started crying at the look of absolute pain in his eyes. Without thinking he reached across the table and grabbed the Asian boys' hand, squeezing it in encouragement.

"My sister is really sick." Blaine nodded solemnly, waiting for Wes to finish. "She has leukemia, guys." Kurt shut his eyes and took a deep breath. It was like déjà vu, images spilling across his vision. His mother lying in a hospital bed, getting weaker by the day. His father bringing him back to the hospital only to find that his mother's condition had gotten worse overnight. His mother, lying in a coffin, and an eight-year-old Kurt feeling broken and empty inside.

Kurt shook his head, trying to clear the images away. His friend needed him right now and he was going to be there for Wes, no matter how much he hurt himself in the process.

"How far along is it?" Blaine looks at Kurt in shock, surprised by the calmness of Kurt's voice.

"Christmas holidays were her first chemotherapy appointment." Kurt nodded and tried not to remember what the cancer patient ward looked like in the Lima Memorial Hospital. That was the last thing that anyone needed, and he was not going to be a burden. Kurt drew in a deep breath and focused back on his friends. They were speaking in hushed tones, consoling Wes and trying their hardest to make him feel better. Kurt joined in, offering kind words to the boy whose situation was so much like Kurt's had been.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by with nothing new. Kurt was still thinking, Blaine was still upset, and Elliot was still hurt. Elliot avoided Kurt like the plague, driving a stake through the younger boys' heart. The only thing that had made it easier was having Blaine by his side, making sure that no one asked Kurt about Elliot, or even mentioned the senior around Kurt.

Blaine wasn't defending Kurt just because Sectional auditions were the next day, he truly cared that Kurt was distraught by his fight his Elliot; but Blaine knew that Kurt was going to kill this audition, and Kurt deserved to be in the spotlight for once.

Blaine knew all about McKinley and how Kurt was denied solos. He knew that it wasn't fair; he knew that Kurt had an outstanding voice. And he knew that Kurt had earned this solo, and nothing was going to get in the way, especially his dick of a boyfriend.

Blaine and Kurt went to bed that night without speaking, the silence making Blaine wonder if Kurt was truly alright. He got his answer the next morning when Kurt was running around the room, muttering about hairstyles and accessories. Blaine got up and caught Kurt as he ran by, setting the brunette down on his bed.

"Kurt...breathe." Kurt seemed to realize that he had, in fact, stopped breathing for a few, short seconds. He took a deep breath in threw his nose, holding it for a couple seconds before letting the air rush through his teeth.

"You are going to do amazing today; you are going to kill that song so hard that it won't know what to do." Kurt just chuckled and looked at his friend.

"That doesn't even make sense." Blaine pursed his lips playfully and shook his head.

"Doesn't have to, you get the point, that's all that matters." Kurt laughed and marvelled at how he felt so much calmer after talking to Blaine. It made sense though; Blaine was the only person who knew Kurt inside and out. Not even Elliot knew Kurt as well as Blaine did, but Kurt was sure that he'd get there.

Kurt finished getting ready with no more difficulties. He and Blaine walked down to Warbler Hall for Kurt's audition time. When they got to the choir room door, Kurt stopped. Blaine looked and the slight boy and saw that he was staring, just staring, at the door. Blaine placed his hand on the small of Kurt's back and gently pushed him. Kurt looked at him with a mix of fear and surprise.

"You'll do fine. Just sing for them like you sang it to me and that solo is yours." Kurt smiled at Blaine, melting the curly-haired boy's heart. He pushed the doors open with one last glance at Blaine, then walked through the doors. Blaine watched as the doors were shut on him, hoping on every hope that Kurt would get the solo.

* * *

Blaine was standing by the door when a flurry of blue eyes and flailing limbs burst out of the choir room. Blaine just about fell from his perch on his chair, completely startled by the loud noise. He didn't even have time to gather himself before Kurt was pulling him to his feet and jumping around him. Blaine couldn't even understand what he was saying; only catching excited tones and squeals of happiness.

Blaine felt himself smile and grabbed Kurt's arms, pinning them to his sides. Despite his arms being under control, Kurt was still jumping up and down, his eyes wide and bright. Blaine just chuckled, never having seen Kurt act this excited in public before.

"So I'm guessing you got the solo?" Kurt smiled wider, if that was even possible.

"I got it Blaine! God this feels _good_! I guess this is how Rachel feels all the time." Blaine jumped up in excitement, rejoicing for his friend. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him close, taking Blaine by surprise. Blaine only paused for a second before he reciprocated the hug, revelling in the taller boy's warmth.

Blaine was shocked by how much he felt for this boy, and the fact that Kurt couldn't see was driving him crazy. He wanted so badly to make Kurt see, but he knew that he had done enough damage. He had almost ruined Kurt's first relationship, all because he had realized his feelings too late. Blaine knew that he should be happy that Kurt was happy, but he couldn't help imagine that Kurt would be happier with him.

Blaine berated himself, he couldn't know for a fact that Kurt would be happier with him, or happy at all for that matter. For all he knew Kurt could see Blaine for what he truly was, or see something that he didn't like. Blaine's heart started to ache at the thought, the thought that the boy he loved was with another was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. Kurt was all he wanted, but was the only thing he couldn't have.

Blaine was brought back from his thoughts by Kurt pulling out of their hug. He was still smiling, glowing with pride. Blaine just smiled and stared at him. Kurt was amazing. Kurt was why Blaine got out of bed in the mornings, if Blaine could just see that smiling face every day, he knew that that would be enough.

Kurt started to talk again, none of the words really making an impact on Blaine. They walked down Warbler Hall together, with Kurt talking and Blaine admiring, both lost in their own worlds.

* * *

The Warblers stepped off their bus, walking as a group into the building in front of them. That was what the Warblers were all about; unity, symmetry, perfection. One Warbler, however, was not perfectly in line, following at the same pace as his fellow teammates. A blue-eyed boy with perfectly styled hair was peering around the lobby, straining his neck to see overtop of people. His eyes fell on a group of teens standing off in a corner and he took off, leaving his group staring after him.

A tall Asian boy took a step forward, as if to retrieve one of his charges, but an arm went up in front of him, blocking his path. He looked over at the dark-haired boy to whom the arm belonged to, quirking an eyebrow. The dark-haired boy just laughed.

"Lighten up Wes. Kurt hasn't seen his friends in weeks." Wes sighed, but seemed to let it go, turning to look back at his group.

"Fine, but just this once Blaine. He is on _our _team." Blaine just shook his head, chuckling quietly at his anal retentive friend. Blaine looked over his shoulder to see Kurt being swarmed by the New Directions. Blaine couldn't really bring himself to be upset over Kurt's temporary abandonment; he understood how Kurt felt about his old Glee club. Sure the Warblers were his friends, but the New Directions were his family.

Kurt flung himself into Finn's arms, laughing at how tightly his brother was hugging him back. It wasn't long before the entire Glee club was descending on him, asking questions and handing out hugs. Kurt felt himself let go a little bit, forgetting all the bad things that had happened in the last couple of weeks. The threatening texts, his kiss with Blaine, his fight with Elliot; none of it seemed that bad now that he was around his friends. That was until Finn started to talk.

"So Kurt, where's Elliot?" Kurt just stared, not really sure how to answer. He decidedly that the truth was the only way to go with this group, they would find out sooner or later.

"We had a bit of a disagreement, and he decided that he no longer wanted to come today." Mercedes narrowed her eyes, along with Finn and Rachel. Mercedes was the first to speak, voice thick with contempt.

"What did he do to you? Did he hurt you Kurt?" Finn looked enraged at Mercedes words.

"I'll kill him Kurt; if he lays one hand on you I will end him." Kurt was about to correct them when Rachel jumped in.

"Is he pressuring you to do...things?" Kurt's eyes widened and Finn took this as an agreement.

"_What_!" Finn's yell was heard across the lobby, catching everyone's attention. Rachel elbowed him discretely and Finn continued quietly. "He's going to die Kurt. Come on, we're going to find him so I can break his neck." Kurt stamped a foot, having quite enough of his friend's wild accusations.

"No! No, okay? He's not pressuring me, he didn't abuse me, if fact, it's my fault that we're arguing." At this everyone fell silent and stared at him.

"Boo, what did you do?" Mercedes voiced her question with a look of utter astonishment on her face. Kurt blushed, embarrassed that he was going to have to tell everyone what he had done.

"I cheated on him..." There was a collective gasp that Kurt rolled his eyes at before finishing his sentence. "With Blaine." The group was silent for a few moments before erupting in chatter once again. It was Rachel's question that caught his attention, though.

"So are you and Blaine together now?" Kurt stared at her in shock, not sure how to respond. Of course he and Blaine weren't together, they were best friends.

"No...Why would you even ask that?" Mercedes gave him her best bitch stare, but Kurt was completely bewildered.

"Please Kurt. You've been drooling over that boy since you met him, and now you're kissing him and breaking up with Elliot? It's a valid question." Kurt just shook his head.

"What I want to know is why you're all so eager for the chance to beat Elliot up, or put Elliot down, or replace him with Blaine." Kurt thought for a moment then felt his whole body jerk as he thought of something. "Did Blaine put you all up to this?" Finn just held up his hands and shook his head, as if to ward off a Kurt freak-out.

"No! Of course he didn't...it's just..." Finn paused, causing Kurt to grow impatient.

"What, Finn? It's just what?" Finn sighed and carried on.

"It's just that at New Year's, Elliot came off as...well as a bit of an ass. Like he didn't really care about you. I mean what kind of boyfriend shows up to a party at the last minute?" Kurt's jaw dropped.

"It was romantic! He flew all the way back from Europe just to see me!" Mercedes stepped in, placing a hand on Kurt's arm.

"Boo, we're just saying that we don't think he's the guy for you. Something seems...off about him." Kurt stared at his best friend, feeling betrayed. He shook her hand off his arm and took a step back.

"Why can no one be happy for me?" Mercedes opened her mouth to talk but Kurt cut her off. "I am _finally_ happy, and you're all trying to sabotage it!" Rachel took a step towards Kurt, but he just took another one back. "You know what? Until all of you can learn to keep your opinions to yourselves I want you to stay away from me! I will not let you wreck my relationship." Kurt stalked away, heading back towards the Warblers, leaving his friends staring after him.

* * *

Kurt was fuming in his seat, giving everyone around a clear warning to leave him alone. Blaine was the only one who had enough courage to sit beside the enraged boy. He placed a hand on Kurt's arm, pleased when he didn't shake it off. Blaine leaned in closer to whisper in Kurt's ear just as the New Directions took the stage.

The music was different from anything Kurt had ever heard them do. It was mystical and airy, and able to make even him fell a little calmer. The spotlight found a single person in the middle of the stage – Rachel, of course – and she raised her head and began to sing in the sweetest voice Kurt had ever heard.

_Sometimes the dreams we dream,_

_Are the lies we need to tell._

_And the worlds we want and the things we need,_

_And the castles and fairytales and heartbeats,_

_And the love that we think we need,_

_To breathe is not real._

Blaine leaned in closer, whispering directly into Kurt's ear. "She really is quite amazing, isn't she?" Kurt smiled despite his anger towards the short girl on stage.

"Rachel is a star, and someday everyone will know her name." Blaine smiled at him, easily seeing the love Kurt had for his friend.

_But I could dream up worlds forever,_

_And I could dream up lies for the rest of my days, _

_And I could sit around and wonder,_

_But all I do is lie to me._

_I wish I could find my structure,_

_I just want to right my wrongs,_

_But I'm plagued by the ideologically signs, _

_That I'm trapped within my own mind all of the time,_

_And I fear that you think,_

_That I might not be strong._

Kurt smiled as Rachel started to cry, knowing that it was nothing new to her. The young star teared up every time she sang, and Kurt welcomed the familiarity. He knew that Dalton was safer for him, especially with Karofsky running around and this stalker – well, stalking him – but he couldn't help but wish that he could still be with his friends.

_But I could dream op worlds forever, _

_And I could dream up lies for the rest of my days,_

_And I could sit around and wonder,_

_But all I do is lie to me._

_And the wind may drag me one way,_

_Who knows where I'll land?_

_And some words have lost their meanings,_

_And I don't understand._

_As we arch our backs and close our eyes,_

_We tell ourselves we're in for a ride._

_I could dream up worlds forever,_

_I could dream up lies for the rest of my days._

_And I could sit around and wonder,_

_But all I do is lie._

_I could dream up worlds forever, _

_I could dream up lies for the rest of my day._

_And I could sit around and wonder,_

_But all I do is lie._

_All I do is lie,_

_All I do is lie to me._

Kurt stood up and applauded, closely followed by his team surrounding him. The lights dimmed and when they were brought back up the entirety of the New Directions were standing on the stage. Kurt was surprised to see Mike standing at the front. He wondered if they were opening with dancing. The first strains of music started and the Warblers quickly sat down. Kurt audibly gasped when he heard singing coming from Mike's mouth.

_I can't win,_

_I can't reign._

_I will never win this game,_

_Without you, without you._

_I am lost,_

_I am vain._

_I will never be the same,_

_Without you, without you._

Kurt openly stared at the stage, wondering how he could not have expected this. The New Directions were always switching up the game, with the obvious exception of Rachel and Finn getting all the solos. Mike had a beautiful voice, and Kurt almost felt sad at the thought that he heard never heard him before tonight.

_I won't run,_

_I won't fly._

_I will never make it by,_

_Without you, without you._

_I can't rest, _

_I can't fight._

_All i never is you and I,_

_Without you, without you._

The music picked up, with the rest of the group joining in. Brittany moved the front and began dancing ruthlessly with Mike, spinning and flipping over one another in a mesmerizing show. Kurt stared at the dreamily, remembering how once upon a time, he had been a part of a group that was capable of anything. They fell back into line, with Mike stepping forward again.

_Can't erase,_

_So I'll take blame._

_But I can't except that we're estranged,_

_Without you, without you._

_I can't quit now,_

_This can't be right._

_I can't take one more sleepless night,_

_Without you, without you._

_I won't soar,_

_I won't climb,_

_If you're not here I'm paralyzed,_

_Without you, without you._

_I can't look, _

_I'm so blind._

_I lost my heart, I lost my mind,_

_Without you, without you._

The group once again exploded in movement, everyone's arms and legs perfectly in sync and they moved to the music. Kurt glanced over at his team and saw that the ever-confident Warblers looked a little nervous. Kurt had known something like this was going to happen, but he had refused to sell out his friends. The Warblers were good; they just had a different style of presentation than the New Directions. Kurt chuckled at the argument he had had with Wes a few weeks back. He had been pushing so hard to get the Warblers to abandon their shuffle-and-snap, but Wes was adamant. Kurt was sure that Wes was rethinking his decision right about now.

_I am lost, _

_I am vain._

_I will never be the same,_

_Without you, without you._

_Without you._

Kurt cheered loudly as soon as the song ended, deeply proud of his friends. He caught Mercedes eye and gave a wave in her direction. She beamed at him and waved back, earning him several pairs of Warbler eyes on him. He smiled at his team reassuringly and followed in line and Wes led them to their greenroom.

The next fifteen minutes while the Hipsters performed were intense. Wes was pacing, Blaine was talking to himself, and David just stood staring at the wall. Kurt was surprised, for boys that always seemed so put together, they sure fell apart easily. Kurt straightened his jacket and moved to stand in front of the boys.

"Alright, that's enough." Everyone looked to Kurt in surprise, pulled from their conversations and thoughts. "I know that the New Directions are good, but I also know that we are too. There's nothing wrong with a different kind of presentation, and I know for a fact that teenage boys behaving like gentlemen is a huge plus for most adults." This earned Kurt a few chuckles from around the room. He took this as encouragement.

"Look you guys, there is absolutely nothing we can do about how they performed, but we can do something about how we perform." Everyone looked at him expectantly. "I think that we need to loosen up a bit." Wes looked taken aback by this, but Kurt ploughed on. "Spencer, I've seen you dancing with the other boys during breaks. You guys are really good; you just need to bring it to the stage." And with that the Warblers huddled closer, conspiring any way to win.

In a few minutes they were called to the stage. They all huddled in the wings, with Kurt at the front. It had been decided long ago that Kurt was going to open for them, and he had never been more nervous in his life. Blaine walked up beside him, putting a reassuring arm on his shoulder. Kurt smiled anxiously, letting Blaine know that his support was appreciated.

The announcer introduced them and the lights went down. Kurt walked to the middle of the stage and waited for the music to start. What if he tried to sing and nothing came out? What if he forgot the words? He was startled out of his negative thoughts when he felt the spotlight on him, hearing the opening notes of his song being sung by the boys in the wings.

_Don't look down._

Kurt was surprised at first to hear his voice, but after he realized that he wasn't messing up he let go a little. He let himself sing at the best of his ability, seeing the audience stare at him in surprise. He was used to this reaction; his voice was unusually softer and higher than most boys his age. He took it in stride, letting the words he sung reach out and linger.

_You may think you've had it rough,_

_And try to give it up._

_But when you think you're stuck,_

_Just go another way._

Kurt swayed with the song, setting up the rhythm. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Spencer and a few others come onto the stage. They came to stand slightly behind Kurt, forming a V-formation with Kurt at the head. They began to move, guiding their arms and legs through simple moves, making them become more complicated as the song progressed.

_Take a chance now,_

'_Cause it's easy._

_Take a chance now for you and me._

_Take a chance now,_

_You can reach it,_

_Take a chance for me._

The boy's movements sped up even more, their hand a blur of movement as they moved from their formation to walk towards the edge of the stage. The rest of the warblers came out, working through the easier movements, complimenting the boys in the front perfectly. Kurt smiled wide at the audience, seeing some people beginning to stand and sway with the music. Kurt caught sight of Finn standing and fist-pumping. Kurt smiled, happy at the fact that his is friends were supporting him. Kurt took a huge breath in and belted out the last words, his arms slowing to work in time with the boys behind him.

_Love is all,_

_Love is all you need._

Kurt finished, breathing heavily at the exhilarating feeling of performing. He barely had time to breathe before the boys began to sing gently. They moved into tiered rows, with Kurt standing on the bleachers. Blaine came in and began to sing in a soothing voice.

_I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,_

_Saying A-O, gotta let go._

_I wanna celebrate and live my life,_

_Saying A-O, baby let's go._

The boys picked up their vocalizing, voices unifying perfectly. Blaine started to move forwards, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet. He put his arms up, causing a few people in the audience to follow.

_I came to dance, _

_Dance, dance, dance._

_I hit the floor 'cause that's my plans,_

_Plans, plans, plans._

_I'm wearing all my favourite brands,_

_Brands, brands, brands._

_Give me some space for both my hands,_

_Hands, hands, hands._

_Yeah, yeah._

Kurt and Spencer came forward to dance with Blaine at the front. Their movements were unpractised, but they flowed nonetheless. Kurt saw the New Directions squirming in their seats, obviously enjoying the show in front of them. Kurt almost laughed out loud when he saw the slightly enraged look on Rachel's face. He smirked in response, knowing that he had gotten the best of her.

'_Cause it goes on and on and on,_

_And it goes on and on and on._

_I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,_

_Saying A-O, gotta let go._

_I wanna celebrate and live my life,_

_Saying A-O, baby let's go._

'_Cause we gonna rock this club,_

_We gonna go all night._

_We gonna light it up,_

_Like it's dynamite._

'_Cause I told you once,_

_Now I told you twice._

_We gonna light it up,_

_Like it's dynamite._

By this point the crowd was standing on their feet, dancing along with voices of the Warblers. Blaine's heart was pumping. This was what he loved, he loved being on a stage in front of all these excited people and giving a performance. He loved singing for others and making people happy.

_I'm gonna take it all,_

_I'm gonna be the last one standing._

_Higher over all,_

_I'm gonna be the last one landing._

'_Cause I believe it,_

_And I, I just want it all._

_I just want it all,_

_I'm gonna put my hands in the air._

_Hands in the air,_

_Put your hands in the air._

_Throw my hands up in the air sometimes,_

_Saying A-O, gotta let go._

_I wanna celebrate and live my life,_

_Saying A-O, baby let's go._

'_Cause we gonna rock this club,_

_We gonna go all night._

_We gonna light it up,_

_Like it's dynamite._

'_Cause I told you once,_

_Now I told you twice._

_We gonna light it up,_

_Like it's dynamite._

_Like it's dynamite._

They finished the song, heads down, lights out. The audience burst into cheers that went on long after they left the stage. The Warblers stood in their greenroom, waiting to be called back to the stage. After twenty impossible long minutes they were told to go to the stage for the announcing of the winner.

They lined up along the stage and waited for the results. The announcer pulled the third place card from the other two cards. Everyone held their breaths.

"And in third place is...The Hipsters!" The group of elderly people clapped and hugged each other. They accepted their smallish trophy and left the stage. The New Directions and Warblers shuffled in closer together. Both teams stared at the announcer as if he held the fate of the world in his hands.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen. For the first time in Ohio state history...The New Directions and Warblers have tied for first place!" Both teams erupted into cheers, ecstatic that they were moving on. Kurt momentarily forgot his anger and his friends and was mobbed by the New Directions. The teams exchanged congratulatory handshakes and words.

They accepted their trophies and left the stage. The Warblers had to leave quickly as their bus driver was being paid hourly. Kurt gave Finn a quick hug and a promise to see him soon.

The bus ride back to Dalton was noisy to say the least. The usually composed boys kept breaking out in song. Kurt sat by himself in the back, not participating. He was happy that they had tied, but he couldn't help but think of what he was planning to do tonight.

He had it all figured out, he had already talked to Wes about calling in impromptu performance. This was going to be perfect. He had asked Spencer to bring Elliot to the choir room. The senior was still angry at Kurt and wouldn't talk to him, but Kurt was sure that this would change everything. He wanted to be with Elliot, and he hoped that this would fix his mistake.

* * *

Elliot was walking back to his room, trying to get there as quick as possible. He had heard that the Warblers had tied, and he had no desire to see the exuberant group. He was missing Kurt way too much to let himself see him. He was still mad at his boyfriend, and he knew that if he saw him he would forgive the younger boy, and he was not ready to do that. Just as he was leaving the main building a voice called out behind him.

"Elliot!" Elliot stopped at the sound of his name and turned to see Andrew Peters running towards him. Elliot stopped and smiled at the freshman. His white blond hair was flopping into his eyes, which were shining a bright green.

"Hey Andrew, what's up? Have in run-ins with Wes lately?" Andrew blanched at the memory of his unfortunate accident with the Asian boy. Elliot laughed good-naturedly and patted the freshman's back. "I'm just kidding." Andrew exhaled at this, immediately becoming excited again.

"I'm supposed to bring you to the Warbler choir room." Elliot pursed his lips at the mention of the Warblers.

"I...um...I actually can't right now. I got other stuff..." Andrew looked unconvinced, grabbing onto Elliot's arm.

"It's really important." Elliot sighed; he knew that in the end he would have to go with Andrew, if only to get the younger boy to stop bothering him. He began to move in the direction of Andrew's insistent pulling.

Before he knew it, Elliot was standing in Warbler Hall. The choir room had people spilling out of it, making Elliot wonder what was going on inside. Andrew pulled him towards the crowd, pushing through people to get inside the room.

Elliot tilted his head at what he saw upon entering the room. There was a raised platform acting as a stage, with a complete drum set, bass and guitar set up. A microphone stood in the center of the stage and Elliot watched as three people walked onto the stage.

Elliot vaguely recognized the boys as they stepped to their instruments. A boy with vibrant blond hair, Spencer Harris if he remembered correctly, went and behind the drums. The genius from Hawkins, Jackson Daniels, grabbed the bass guitar. And finally, Jason Harris came up to grab the electric guitar. Elliot started at the sight of Spencer's older brother. He would have never thought the experimenter was musically inclined. Elliot remembered when Jason had blown up his room when Kurt had been living with him. He looked around and saw that other than Spencer and Jackson, everyone was just as surprised as he was. Elliot watched as a final boy came up to the stage, and gasped when he saw who it was.

"Hey everyone. So I know you all were told that there was going to be an impromptu Warblers performance, but this isn't it." The sound of whines and groans spread across the room. "I'm here because I need to apologize to someone very important to me, and these boys behind me have graciously offered their talents."

Kurt looked up at the crowd, scanning the faces. He stopped when he saw Elliot, keeping eye contact with the older boy and trapping him there.

"I am so sorry for what I did to you, and I hope this makes up for it." As Kurt finished talking the boys in the back began to play. Jason came in fast, playing the opening notes expertly. Elliot was stunned; this wasn't a song that Kurt would usually sing.

_Break down _

_I can't take this,_

_I need somewhere to go._

_I need you, _

_I'm so restless,_

_I don't know what to do._

'_Cause we've had our rough times,_

_With fighting all night,_

_And now we're just slipping away._

_So just give this chance,_

_To make the wrongs right to say:_

_Don't, don't, don't walk away._

Elliot stared at the stage, at his boyfriend. _His boyfriend. _His usually composed, calm, quiet boyfriend, who was standing on a stage in front of his peers singing his heart out to a _punk_ song just to get his point across. Just to apologize. He felt like the world's biggest idiot.

_I promise, I won't let you down,_

_You down, _

_If you take my hand tonight._

_I promise, we'll be just fine,_

_This time,_

_If you take my hand tonight._

Kurt looked straight at Elliot, trying his best to convey how much he meant the words. He hoped with every fibre of his being that his boyfriend would forgive him. Elliot was safe; he needed him more than anything else.

_Without you,_

_I go through the motions._

_Without you,_

_It's just not quite the same._

_Without you,_

_I don't wanna go out,_

_I just wanted to say._

_That I'm sick of these fights,_

_I'll let you be right,_

_If it stops you from running away._

_So just give me this chance,_

_To make the wrongs right, to say:_

_Don't, don't, don't walk away._

The lights went down and the music cut out, resulting in a loud screech of feedback from the microphone. Elliot heard the murmured questions of the boys around him, wondering if this was part of the performance. A few seconds later the lights flipped back on. As his adjusted back to the light of the room Elliot noticed something was different. He stared at the front of the stage and saw Spencer, Jackson, and Jason looking around.

Elliot whipped his head around quickly, searching for gleaming chestnut hair and brilliant blue eyes but he came up short. Kurt wasn't in the choir room, at least, not anymore. Elliot pushed through the crowd to talk to Spencer.

"Spencer!" The younger boy looked down at Elliot, confusion in his eyes. "Where did Kurt go?" Spencer shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the room.

"You got me, man. He never told us anything about bailing halfway through the song." Elliot looked away from the confused musicians. He spotted a shiny head of black hair and took off towards it.

Blaine was starting to panic, Kurt would never, _ever_, leave a performance uncompleted. It went against everything he loved about singing and performing. He stopped searching when Elliot came to stand directly in front of him.

"Something's wrong." The both spoke at the same time, but were too worried to really care.

"He wouldn't just leave like this." Elliot glared at Blaine.

"You think I don't know that?" The older boys' anger was eclipsed by his desperation. "We need to find him. Now." Blaine nodded and led the way out into the hall. They walked swiftly towards the front doors of the building. Once they were outside of Easton they finally spoke.

"I'm going to go check our room, you go check yours." Elliot nodded curtly at Blaine's instructions, not even caring that the boy who was trying to steal his boyfriend was now helping him.

The two boys headed in different directions, going to different rooms, searching for the same boy, thinking the same thought, over and over.

_Please just let him be okay._

* * *

Kurt didn't know where he was, although he was pretty sure he was in the truck of a car, if the limited space and constant bumps were any indication. He thought back to the last few seconds of his performance. He had been singing to Elliot, and then it had gone dark. He had felt a sack being pulled over his head, and then he had been pulled roughly from the stage. Two hands had grabbed him and pushed him down the hall, away from the choir room. Kurt remembered being so scared that he could barely breathe. He felt the floor beneath him turn from tile into icy pavement. He shivered from the cold, only his Dalton Oxford covering his thin arms.

And right before he had been shoved in the truck, his captor had leant in close and whispered to him in an unmistakably familiar voice.

"I told you to stay away from him."

So now Kurt was in the dark, terrified and alone. And now he knew who his stalker was. An image of bright blond and summer grass green eyes flooded his mind. Jeff, the boy he had confided in, who he had told about his entire stalker problem. Little had Kurt known that Jeff didn't need telling. He felt like such an idiot, imagining Jeff laughing at him from behind closed doors.

The car slowly pulled to a stop and Kurt heard the opening and closing of a car door. The trunk opened soon after, letting light shine in, not that he could really tell. He was pulled harshly from the trunk and set on his feet, barely having enough time to steady himself before being pushed in a new direction.

They walked into a building, their footsteps echoing off of the walls. Kurt was thrust into a chair and tied to its back. The sack was ripped off his head finally allowing him to see. After his eyes adjusted, Kurt looked around. They were in a warehouse, and an abandoned one by the looks of it. The walls were covered in grime that looked as though it had been there for centuries.

Jeff walked over to stand in front of Kurt. The blue-eyed boy stared in disbelief. So many questions were running through his head.

"Jeff..." Jeff snorted a laugh and looked down at Kurt.

"You looked so surprised Kurt, as if you don't know what you did." Kurt just shook his head, he had known that the stalker was mad about him dating Elliot, but why would _Jeff_ care. Kurt voiced this question.

"Why do I care? Kurt, without you at Dalton my life would be absolutely perfect right now!" Kurt shrunk back at the words. Kurt had become closer to Jeff in the past few weeks, occasionally sitting with him at lunch and walking to class together. If made his stomach turn to think that all that time he was spending with Jeff was time he was spending with his tormentor. Kurt looked into Jeff's eyes, something didn't match up.

"Jeff, you're not even gay. You and Elliot don't even hang out! Why does my dating him even matter to you?" Jeff's eyes darkened so quickly that Kurt began to shake.

"That's where you're wrong, Hummel. I am most definitely gay, I just don't flaunt it like the attention whore that you are." Kurt was having a hard time catching his breath. "And I used to hang out with Elliot, before you got in the way."Kurt looked at his friend – no, his captor – in confusion.

"Don't look so surprised. You know, life at Dalton did exist before you came along." Jeff walked away, but not without giving a sarcastic smile to Kurt. As soon as Jeff was gone Kurt leapt into action. His cell phone was in his pocket, if he could just reach it.

He wiggled his arm, realizing that Jeff hadn't tied him as tight as he had thought. He kept moving his arm until his hand was up past his hip. He reached into his pants pocket, trying his hardest to grab his phone. His long fingers finally wrapped around his phone and he began to gently pull it out.

Once he finally had his phone out of the confines of his pants he set in on his knee. Careful not to knock the phone to the ground, he called the first person he thought of.

* * *

Blaine was frantic, maybe even manic. It had been over half an hour and nobody had seen Kurt. He had checked his room, but had found that his roommate wasn't there. After quickly talking to Elliot, Blaine knew that Kurt wasn't in Elliot's room either. He had already called Finn and told him the situation, to which Finn had absolutely freaked out. Soon after that Burt had found out and had taken Finn's phone, demanding answers from Blaine. Blaine knew better than to keep secrets from an angry Burt Hummel, so he told him everything. He told him about the stalker and the threatening texts. Burt was furious at first, but his fury soon turned to concern for his son. He told Blaine to keep looking, and that they would start their own branch of a Lima search party. The two had hung up and Blaine couldn't help but feel the slightest bit better, now that an adult finally knew.

He was sitting on his bed now, wondering where exactly his friend was. His phone trilled at him, causing him to pull it out of his pocket with alarming speed. He just about fainted from relief when he saw the caller ID.

_Kurt Hummel_

He answered quickly, ready to give the boy who had been worrying him sick a piece of his mind. He didn't get a single word out though, due to the fact that as soon as he answered Kurt started to ramble.

"_Blaine! You answered, thank God you answered. Blaine I need help, you wouldn't even believe...I can't even believe it. He hasn't told me anything, oh god I think he's coming back...no, it wasn't him." _Blaine finally spoke up, silencing Kurt.

"Kurt. Kurt! What is going on? Where are you?" Blaine could hear Kurt breathing heavily over the phone.

"_Blaine...I'm scared."_ Blaine's eyes widened, Kurt never got scared, or at least he never admitted it.

"Kurt, where are you?" He heard Kurt sniffle quietly before answering.

"_He took me to a warehouse, an abandoned one."_ Blaine pinched his nose, becoming more stressed and worried each second.

"Do you know where the warehouse is?" Kurt whimpered slightly.

"_No, he put me in the trunk. I couldn't see anything. But I know that we only drove for about twenty minutes."_ Elliot walked into Blaine's room at that moment, rushing over when he saw Blaine was on the phone. Blaine held up a hand, signalling for the older boy not to say anything.

"Okay Kurt. Elliot just walked in; we're going to come find you." Kurt laughed brokenly through the phone, sounding hopeless.

"_Please hurry. He's going to be coming back soon." _Blaine heard Kurt gasp, followed by rapid footsteps that got loudly with each passing second. Blaine heard a clatter and an angry voice screaming in the background.

"_Who did you call?" _Silence, followed by a resounding noise that could only be made from punching someone. _"No one can help you now." _A scraping sound came through the earpiece of Blaine's phone, with quiet sobs in the background. Blaine's heart clenched, whoever had Kurt was hurt him and it was killing Blaine to hear it. Suddenly he couldn't contain himself any longer and found himself screaming into the phone.

"Don't touch him! Who are you? I swear, if you hurt him..." Elliot ran up to Blaine, trying to take the phone from him. Blaine shrugged him off and ran to his bathroom, locking the door behind him. Elliot began to bang on the door, demanding that Blaine let him in. Blaine backed away from the door, trying to get away from the noise Elliot was making. The person on the other end of the line talked, capturing Blaine's attention and shocking him into silence.

"_What? You'll do what, Blaine?"_ A pause hung in the air as the voice registered in Blaine's mind. Taking his silence as a victory the caller hung up. The banging on his bathroom door was gone, although Elliot was now jiggling the door handle.

Blaine walked over in a daze and unlocked it, walking out to face Elliot.

"What the hell, Blaine! Why didn't you let me talk to him?" Blaine turned to Elliot, the look on his face quietening the senior immediately. "Blaine, what happened? Who was on the phone?" Blaine kept staring at Elliot, thoughts whirling around in his head. Elliot gave him a light shove, pulling Blaine out of his thoughts enough to answer the older boy.

"Jeff. It was Jeff." The name sparked something in Elliot's eyes that Blaine couldn't place. It seemed like a cross between realization and panic. Blaine suddenly saw that Elliot knew something about this.

"Elliot...why would Jeff do this?" Elliot just shook his head, eyes filling with tears, much to Blaine's disbelief.

"This is all my fault." Blaine reached out as if to touch the older boys' shoulder, but thought better of it and lowered his hand. He could barely stand to look at Elliot most days, and no matter how bad of a situation they were in Blaine just couldn't seem to handle him. Elliot's head snapped up, his eyes suddenly clear. The look of determination on his face was intense enough to make Blaine step back.

"Come on." Elliot grabbed Blaine's wrist and pulled him towards the door.

"Elliot! Let go of me! Where are we going?" Elliot didn't even cast a look back, dragging Blaine towards his car once they were outside. Blaine tore his arm out of Elliot's grip, not wanting to be touched by the one person he couldn't stand. Elliot whipped around to face the shorter boy, his face screwed up in frustration at the struggle that Blaine was putting up.

"I know where Kurt is..." All the thoughts in Blaine's head vanished, with only one remaining. He spoke with confidence, completely sure of his next decision.

"Get in the car. He needs us."

* * *

Kurt's jaw was throbbing, a feeling that was completely new to him. Of course, he had been shoved at McKinley, but this kind of pain was leaps and bounds above a sore shoulder. Kurt hadn't heard Jeff come back in to the warehouse, or else he might have ended his call sooner. When Jeff had seen what Kurt was doing his face had contorted into an ugly mask of rage. He had brought his fist back and punched, hitting Kurt square in the jaw.

Kurt knew on some level that Jeff had talked to Blaine, he only hoped that Blaine hadn't heard Kurt get hit, or his crying in the background. He wanted to be strong, like Blaine believed him to be, but he was so scared and that coupled with the physical pain was enough to make him break out into tears.

Jeff was pacing now, back and forth, back and forth, in front of Kurt. Occasionally he would pause and turn to Kurt, with Kurt flinching away from his gaze. After what seemed like hours of silence Kurt finally spoke up.

"Jeff, what do you _want_?" Jeff turned to glare at Kurt, as if he had just asked the simplest question in the world.

"I want the boy I love back." Kurt's head was reeling, Jeff _loved_ Elliot? Kurt used his most calm tone of voice as possible.

"Jeff, I didn't even know that you and Elliot knew one another." Jeff smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes.

"Of course not, he forgot all about me once he met you." Kurt stared at Jeff uncertainly, not really following what the blond-haired boy was saying. "Last summer Elliot and I worked at the same place, a children's camp just outside of Westerville. I was a counsellor and he was the activities coordinator. Over the summer we started to spend more and more time together, learning about one another, becoming closer. We both realized that we had gone to the same school, that we were in the same grade, that we had even shared some classes. It was on the last night of camp that he finally worked up the courage to kiss me.

Jeff smiled at this, as if recalling a pleasant childhood memory. Kurt sat in his chair, shocked at what he was hearing. Elliot had never told him anything about this; in fact, he had always said that his previous summer had been nothing special. Kurt found himself having a hard time understanding.

"We had promised each other that once we were back in school we were going to make it official. When we got back I was so excited to see him, I couldn't wait to spend as much time with him as possible. We sneaked around a lot, trying to spend time together out of the public eye. But he kept pushing it back, saying that he had DA responsibilities, or that the Easton boys needed him. The one constant thing that he always told was that we'd be together soon.

Jeff's smile turned bitter, making Kurt pretty sure about what Jeff was going to say next. Kurt heard a bang, but chalked it up to the old building moving. Jeff apparently had thought the same as he kept on speaking.

"Then, in November, something changed. I didn't see Elliot at all anymore. No more conversations in the halls, no more late night meetings in the common room, nothing. It was a few days after I was completely shut out that I realized. He had found someone new, he had found you. Imagine my heartbreak, Kurt, when I walked around the corner only to find the boy I loved mooning over someone else, not even acknowledging that I was there. I couldn't stand seeing him so infatuated with someone else. I tried to warn you, I sent the texts telling you to stay away from him, but then you got him involved.

Kurt sat there and stared at Jeff, not knowing what to expect next from the boy. What he hadn't been expecting was the knife that Jeff pulled out.

Kurt barely even had time to react before Jeff slashed forward with the knife, cutting down the length of Kurt's arm. The brunette gasped out in pain, feeling the warm liquid run down his arm. He felt sick at the smell and closed his eyes to try and concentrate on anything else. However, Jeff just sliced again, this time on the other arm and a little deeper. Kurt actually felt the knife in his flesh before it was pulled out. Kurt snapped his eyes open and looked directly at Jeff, speaking his words with venom.

Kurt was shaking now, hoping more than ever that Blaine and Elliot were on their way. He felt like such an idiot, he had been befriending the person who hated him, who had been making him live in fear. Kurt felt something well up inside of him, something strong and powerful. It felt exactly like when he had stood up to Karofsky.

"You're a coward." Jeff stopped and stared at him in disbelief.

"What did you call me?" Kurt swallowed thickly, knowing he couldn't turn back – no – he didn't _want _to turn back now. He spoke louder, emanating confidence.

"I said you're a cowa..." Kurt was cut off by a sickening smack. Jeff had slapped him, hard, across the face. It was on the opposite side that Jeff had punched him on earlier. Now both were throbbing painfully, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to regret his decision.

"Go ahead, Jeff. Hit me all you want, it's not going to change anything! It's not going to change the fact that I'm with Elliot and you're all alone." Jeff began to swing randomly, hitting Kurt's face, stomach, anything he could reach. Kurt saw delicate tears falling from Jeff's eyes and smiled, instantly knowing that he had gotten to the blonde.

"You're alone, because I was a better offer." Kurt gasped as Jeff's fist without the knife came around, landing a blow squarely on his jaw. The punch was hard enough to throw his chair back, tilting farther and farther until in tipped completely over. Kurt's head smacked the pavement with a sickening crack, stars immediately blurring his vision. A head of blonde hair came into Kurt's field of view, puzzling him. His head felt heavy as he looked at the face above him. He felt as if he were on a boat – rocking from side to side – but heard no waves, no birds, nor any indication of being on water. The face above him spoke, quietly, as if it didn't want to be heard.

"I never wanted this, Kurt, but I deserve him more than you." Kurt held onto consciousness for a few more moments, getting the last words in.

"You are so broken."

* * *

Elliot was speeding; Blaine knew this for a fact. There was no doubt in his mind that Elliot was careening down the road at unfit speeds. However, he couldn't bring himself to care. Kurt was at the end of whatever roads Elliot was taking, and he needed to get to Kurt. The two hadn't spoken since they had left the school, both too focused on Kurt to carry on a conversation, although it was not as if they were going to exchange pleasantries in this kind of situation.

Blaine turned his body to face his window, propping his head against the cool glass and closing his eyes. All he wanted – no, _needed_ – was for Kurt to be okay when they got there. Blaine couldn't stop his brain from creating whatever scenarios it wanted, though, so he was subject to seeing images of a broken and bloodied Kurt, crying out for someone, _anyone_, to help him. Blaine opened his eyes, not wanted to torture himself with the disturbing images any longer. His eyes focused on the landscape just outside the vehicle. He recognized the area, but only vaguely. He turned to Elliot, raising his eyebrows.

"Where are we?" Elliot seemed to snap out of a trance, like he was only just realizing that he wasn't alone in the car.

"We're in the old industrial part of Westerville." Blaine didn't see how that was relevant to finding Kurt, but Elliot continued before he had a chance to voice this. "Whenever Jeff used to get upset he would drive out here. Something out the old buildings calmed him down, I guess." Blaine looked over his shoulder at the dilapidated warehouses passing by. He couldn't imagine how anyone could find the buildings calming. As Blaine stared at the crumbling structures a question popped into his mind.

"How do you know all this about Jeff?" Elliot squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, as if the thought of Jeff was setting him on edge.

"We dated briefly..." Blaine was sure that the sound of his jaw hitting the floor could have been heard in the next town over.

"You _dated_ him? And you never thought that before now this would be key information?" Elliot stared ahead, jaw set and working furiously.

"Who I dated in the past is none of your business." Blaine just stared at the older boy, eyes wide.

"None of my...I think it became my business when your ex started to threaten my best friend!" Blaine threw his arms up in the air, exasperated by the fact that Elliot had disclosed important knowledge.

"Well it didn't, and you would've told Kurt about him." Blaine froze for a moment, momentarily stunned by Elliot's words. He slowly turned towards the senior, a look of disbelief on his face. Elliot glanced over at him, briefly seeing his face change from disbelief to something else.

"Why are you looking at me like...Ow!" Elliot was cut off by Blaine fist hitting his arm. Elliot swerved, distracted by the pain in his arm. Blaine simply smirked and looking forward once again.

"Dude! Don't hit the driver!" Blaine merely stuck his tongue out, feeling somewhat childish but satisfied nonetheless.

Blaine jerked forward as Elliot slammed the car to a stop. The younger looked out his window, seeing a giant, crumbling warehouse before him. The driver's door opened and slammed shut, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to move. Elliot came to stand outside of his window, knocking lightly on the glass. Blaine opened his door slowly, climbing out of the car, never taking his eyes off the building. He stood beside Elliot, both looking to the dilapidated mess on concrete. Blaine looked to Elliot, craning his neck to see the elder boy's face.

"That's where he is?" Elliot nodded, scowling slightly at the sight of the building. Blaine looked from Elliot back the building, taking a deep breath. "Well then let's go."

The two walked side by side towards the building, following along the side once they approached the wall. Elliot took the lead, heading towards a door halfway down the wall. They reached the wall and Elliot stopped, but only long enough the hold his finger to his mouth, effectively telling Blaine to be quiet.

Elliot turned the handle and pushed in on the door, a plume of dust spraying out from it. Elliot walked through the door first, beckoning Blaine to follow behind. They walked into the shadows, leaving the light of day behind. The darkness caused Blaine to walk right into something, causing an unknown object to fall to the floor with a loud bang. The two boys stood there, waiting to hear the sound of footsteps, but after realizing that no one was coming to look for them they continued on. A faint light was coming from up ahead, giving off just enough brightness for the two to make their way through the garbage on the floor.

As they walked they began to hear voices, soft at first, but louder as they ventured on. Elliot held up a hand and leaned in to whisper to Blaine.

"He's right there." Elliot pointed at a gap between two crates. Blaine came to stand beside Elliot, both looking through the gap together.

What they saw couldn't be described as anything but horrifying. Kurt was tied to a chair, face swollen on one side. Jeff was circling him, speaking in a harsh tone. Blaine was momentarily distracted by a small pool of something wet on the floor beside Kurt, but leaned forward when Jeff began to talk, intent on hearing the blonde's words.

"It was a few days after I was completely shut out that I realized. He had found someone new, he had found you. Imagine my heartbreak, Kurt, when I walked around the corner only to find the boy I loved mooning over someone else, not even acknowledging that I was there." Blaine turned to glare at Elliot, but the older boy's eyes were fixed on Kurt.

Blaine was stilling having a hard time believing that all this time it had been Jeff. Blaine had been in Warblers with the boy for years, and never once had he given Blaine a reason to believe he was capable of doing something like this. Blaine tuned back into the conversation the two boys in front of him were having.

"You're a coward." Kurt had spoken in such a strong voice that Blaine almost cheered for him. Blaine's heart pounded at the thought that this extraordinary boy could still stand up for himself even when he should have been terrified. Blaine's heart almost stopped though when he saw the rage on Jeff's face. He saw Jeff's mouth move, but the words didn't register with Blaine. He saw Kurt start to talk again when he was suddenly cut off by a sickening smack. Blaine choked, and had to grab Elliot to keep the boy from jumping out from behind their hiding spot.

Kurt began to speak again, more vindictive and provoking this time. Blaine watched as Jeff hit Kurt again and again, hits landing wherever his hands could reach. Jeff hit Kurt a final time, sending his chair flying back. Blaine almost threw up when he saw Kurt's head make contact with the hard cement below. He watched as Jeff came to loom above the brunette, and spoke so quietly that Blaine couldn't here. Blaine saw Kurt's lips move once last time before his neck went lax and his head turned to the side.

Elliot slipped from Blaine's grip as he watched his best friend, the boy he loved, lie motionless on the ground. He snapped his gaze away from Kurt when he heard Elliot start screaming.

Elliot had torn away from Blaine, running to Kurt, to Jeff.

Jeff.

Jeff, the boy he had been so sure he had loved last summer. The boy who Blaine had so easily started to date and then so easily left. A rage pooled up inside him, causing him to yelling directly at Jeff.

"Get away from him!" Jeff jumped back, obviously surprised by the sound of another person's voice, let alone Elliot. Elliot stormed up to him, causing Jeff to back away from Kurt's still body. "What have you done Jeff?"

Jeff backed away even more, mouth opening and closing in an attempt to answer Elliot's question.

"Just wanted you back, I just...I just thought..." Elliot's eyes burned with anger.

"You thought what? That if you got rid of my boyfriend I would come running back to you?" Jeff took a step towards Elliot, a look of anger started to show on his face.

"He stole you from me Elliot! What was I supposed to do?" Elliot moved the right, causing Jeff to do so as well. The elder kept doing this until Jeff's back was turned to Blaine. He could see the curly locks of the younger boy begin to peek out from the shadows.

"I don't know Jeff, not _knock him out_, most certainly not stalk him and terrify him for months on end." Elliot only hoped that Blaine had understood his subtle hint. He sighed in relief when he saw Blaine creep out and quietly walk towards Jeff's turned back. Jeff suddenly became frenzied and waved a knife around. Elliot's eyes widened, knowing that suddenly this situation had just gotten much more dangerous.

"Elliot, I couldn't handle it. I love you so much, he doesn't deserve you. He doesn't even _love_ you." Elliot was momentarily thrown by the blonde's words, but focused again once he saw Blaine directly behind Jeff. The two made eye contact and Elliot nodded minutely.

"Jeff, Kurt never stole me. You just never had me." Blaine jumped into action, tackling Jeff to the ground with a grunt. Jeff cried out in surprise, not knowing that there had been another person in the warehouse. Blaine landed on top of him, struggling to keep the much stronger boy still. Blaine grabbed Jeff's hair in his hand tightly and pulled his head up from the ground. Jeff seemed to know exactly at that moment what Blaine was going to do, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. Blaine thrust his hand downwards, smashing Jeff's head against the ground. He gagged at the feel of the platinum-haired boy's head hitting the ground. He looked down and saw that Jeff's eyes were closed. He hurriedly checked for a pulse and sighed in relief when he felt one.

"Thank god..." Blaine stood up shaking and glanced over to Elliot. The boy was staring at him as though he were a ghost. Blaine simply walked over to Kurt and untied him from the chair.

After lying Kurt out on the floor Blaine began to inspect his injuries. His hands ghosted over Kurt's bruises, tears forming in his eyes to see a creature so beautiful laying there so broken. His hands traveled to Kurt's shoulders, then down his arms. It was on his arms that Blaine felt something slick and warm. He looked to his hands and saw blood, Kurt's blood. Blaine remembered seeing something wet beside Kurt's chair before and almost felt sick at the thought that it had been the boy's blood. He swayed slightly where he sat and looked over his shoulder at Elliot.

The elder was just standing there, staring at Jeff as though if he stared hard enough he could erase what had happened. Blaine called out to him, voice shaky and quiet. Elliot took a few moment s to respond, but eventually looked to Blaine. Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, tossing it to Elliot. Elliot caught it deftly and stared at Blaine.

"You need to go call the police, now."Elliot began to walk towards the door when Blaine called after him. "Elliot!" The older boy turned to look at Blaine. "Tell them to bring two ambulances." Elliot just nodded and hurried towards the door.

Blaine watched him leave and turned back to Kurt as soon as Elliot was out of sight. HE inched closer to the motionless boy, bringing his brunette head to lie in his lap. Blaine began to run his fingers through Kurt's soft hair, an action that he would have never been allowed to do if the boy was awake. He once again felt tears pool in his eyes and began to quietly apologize.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so, so, so sorry. This is all my fault, this was me...I couldn't protect you...I couldn't do anything..." Blaine finally stopped when he heard a soft voice from below him.

"Hey..." Blaine's eyes shot open and saw that Kurt was awake, but just barely. "This is not your fault, it's no one's fault." His voice began to get raspy and Blaine quietened him. Kurt started to cry and Blaine just held him tighter.

"Shhh...You're fine. It's going to be alright. The ambulance is on its way." Blaine felt Kurt tense up in his arms and Blaine wondered what he had said that had gotten him so upset. Kurt just whispered and cried.

"I don't want to go to the hospital, Blaine. Please...please don't make me." Blaine started to cry at the desperate tone in Kurt's voice.

"You have to go; you're losing too much blood." Kurt just clenched onto Blaine's arm, though his grip was alarmingly weak. Blaine saw that Kurt was starting to pass out again and he started to panic. He grabbed Kurt's face in his hands and pulled the boy's gaze towards him.

"Kurt. Kurt!" Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, although Blaine couldn't be sure how much he was actually seeing. "You have to stay awake, okay? Okay?" Kurt only nodded and smiled weakly. His next words sent aches straight to Blaine's heart.

"Sing to me?" Blaine smiled shakily and nodded. He took a few short breaths and began to sing softly to the boy he loved, hoping that even in his current state, he would understand the words for what they truly meant.

_Long, steady road,_

_Oh travels be kind._

_I'm searching for some peace of mind._

_The home that you know,_

_A home left behind,_

_Oh trouble, don't trouble this time._

_And baby don't look back,_

_Odds don't stack,_

_They just crumble down around you._

_You gotta go if you wanna come back,_

_I won't crack,_

_I can't make a sound without you._

_And even if sounds crazy darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_And even if it don't stop raining darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_And even if the world's burning darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_Even it if sounds crazy darling,_

_I won't let you go._

Kurt stared into Blaine's eyes, finally seeing the truth that was there. There had never been any lying, any fear of losing his best friend, Blaine had been telling the truth all along. Blaine actually cared.

_Know your way down,_

_Your music, your town,_

_You're never a-walking alone._

_A storm that won't wait,_

_A heart that won't break, _

_Your mountains ain't made out of stone._

_So baby don't look back, _

_Odd don't stack,_

_They just crumble down around you._

_You gotta go if you wanna come back,_

_I won't crack,_

_I can't make a sound with you._

_And even if it sounds crazy darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_And even if it don't ever stop raining darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_And even if the world's burning darling,_

_I won't let you go._

_Even if it sounds crazy darling._

Blaine heard noise coming from the door and yelled out. He saw two EMT's race to him, asking him questions. He answered them quietly and directly their attention to Jeff. One went over to tend to the blonde boy while one stayed to look after Kurt. Kurt, however, couldn't care less that help had finally arrived.

He was still staring at Blaine, a look of profound knowing in his eyes. Blaine didn't know how to take the look Kurt was giving him. The boy was neither rejecting nor accepting his earnest confession. The EMT grabbed Kurt and stood up. Kurt started to panic and struggle and Blaine immediately knew what to do. He stood quickly and held his arms out to the EMT, trying to convey that this was the only way Kurt would calm down.

The EMT sighed slightly and passed Kurt off to Blaine.

"The ambulance is straight outside, carry him out there and wait for me." Blaine nodded and headed towards the door. While he walked he began to sing to Kurt ounce again, picking up where he had left off.

_So baby don't look back,_

_Odds don't stack,_

_They just crumble down around you._

_You gotta go if you wanna come back,_

_I won't crack,_

_I can't make a sound without you._

Kurt reached up a hand to rest on Blaine's cheek, making the black-haired boy's heart race. He kept singing, keeping his eyes locked on Kurt's. He emerged from the warehouse, wincing at the bright sunlight and flashing cop lights. He waited outside the doors for the EMT, seeing Elliot talking to an officer, describing the events. They made eye contact for a moment, and in that moment it was as though Elliot knew.

He face fell slightly, but he seemed to steel himself and turned back to the officer. The EMT came out and rested a hand on Blaine's shoulder, guiding him in the direction of the ambulance. The EMT jumped in the back first, holding out his arms for Blaine to pass Kurt up. Kurt gripped Blaine's arm for a moment, but relaxed when Blaine looked to him. Blaine passed Kurt up with ease, hopping in beside him after.

The EMT began to talk to Kurt in a soothing tone.

"Sir, what's your name." Kurt seemed to be having trouble answering the question, as if he couldn't remember the answer. Blaine opened his mouth to answer for him, but the man shook his head.

"He needs to answer these questions on his own." Blaine nodded and looked to Kurt, willing him to answer the man.

"My name is John, what's your name?" Kurt seemed to concentrate a little more this time around and opened his mouth slowly, trying to form his lips around the words.

"Kurt Hummel." Blaine blanched at how horrible the countertenor sounded.

"Okay, Kurt. So how are you feeling?" Blaine looked to John with a look of disbelief on his face, but John met his gaze and shook his head slightly. Kurt just chuckled.

"I must say...I've been better." The two chatted back in forth in stilted conversation for a few more moments. Blaine saw another man rush by, this time with a blonde-haired boy in his arms. Blaine couldn't make himself feel bad for what he had done to Jeff, not after he had seen Kurt's injuries.

Blaine finally realized what John had been doing after a while. While he and Kurt had been talking, John had been quickly assessing Kurt's injuries and bandaging his arms. John looked to Blaine now that he had finished his work.

"Can you sit back here with him?" Blaine nodded vigorously, and John smiled and patted his shoulder. He quickly moved around to the front of the vehicle, hopping in and starting it up. They left the warehouse, driving down the road towards Lima. Blaine felt something brush up against his hand and looked down to see attempting to hold his hand.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's fingers, pushing his digits in betweens Kurt's. Kurt sighed at the contact and looked up at Blaine. Blaine didn't even need to be told this time, he picked up his song exactly where he had left off.

_No I can't,_

_No I never will,_

_Never, ever would,_

_No I never could let you go._

_No I just can't,_

_No I never will,_

_Never, ever could,_

_No I never will let you go._

_No I just can't,_

_No I never will,_

_Never, ever would,_

_No I never could let you go._

Kurt smiled as the song came to an end, finally feeling safe. Kurt's mind was racing. He had never felt safer than when he was with Blaine. He couldn't for the life of him think of why it had taken him so long to realize. He knew what he had to do now, and not everyone would like it, but he had to. It was the only thing that made sense anymore.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand one last time, gazing up into his golden-field eyes. They reminded Kurt of summer days, driving through the country. They suddenly became the only important thing, and as Kurt focused on them harder and harder he found himself getting more and more tired. He heard Blaine speak, but could understand the words. A voice answered him thankfully, so Kurt wouldn't have to now. Kurt felt Blaine down and whisper in his ear.

"Go to sleep, Kurt. You're safe now." Kurt sighed at the warm breath in his ear and closed his eyes. Those two words kept running though his mind as he drifted off to sleep, imagines of himself and a black-haired boy running through wheat fields laughing playing behind his eyelids.

_You're safe. You're safe. You're safe._

* * *

_**In the next installment:** In the aftermath of Jeff's attack, how will Kurt cope with his confused heart? With Elliot wracked with guilt and Blaine torn by revenge and love, how will anyone know what to do? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what will our favorite love triangle do to win the prize?_

_As always reviews are appreciated and welcomed :) I love hearing your guys thoughts! Until next time my dears, lots of love!_


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